(New London, CT) - Paul J. Narducci, New London Judicial District State’s Attorney, announced that a Superior Court jury today found Atlantik Balidemaj, age 25, of Norwich, guilty of Murder, in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 53a-54a, and Unlawful Discharge of a Firearm, in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 53-203, stemming from the death of Jashira Pagan in Norwich. The Honorable Elizabeth C. Leaming presided over the trial.
Evidence in the four-week trial established that in the early morning of November 5, 2022, Balidemaj shot Pagan in a cul-de-sac outside her residence in Norwich after a heated argument. Balidemaj was caught on a surveillance camera fleeing the scene. When interviewed by the police, he gave numerous contradictory statements and falsehoods.
Balidemaj now faces a maximum sentence of 60 years and three months in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced in New London Superior Court on May 20, 2026.
“First and foremost, our thoughts are with Jashira’s family,” State’s Attorney Narducci said. “We hope that this verdict brings them some peace after the suffering they have endured. We want to thank the Norwich Police Department, the Town of Groton Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the State Division of Scientific Services, and the Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Their assistance was invaluable.”
The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant State’s Attorneys Thomas M. DeLillo and Marissa Goldberg, and Inspector Mathew Suplee, with the assistance from the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney Appellate Bureau.