(Milford, CT) - Margaret E. Kelley, Ansonia/Milford Judicial District State’s Attorney, today announced that Jacob “Jewla” Freeman, age 28, of Ansonia, was found guilty by a jury on June 25, 2024, of Murder in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 53-54a. The trial in the Superior Court of Milford was presided over by the Honorable Eliot D. Prescott.
Freeman’s conviction stems from the shooting death of Jajuan Benavides, age 21, on Anson Street in Derby on August 11, 2017. Evidence at trial showed that on that date at about 1:48 a.m., an individual in a mask and dressed in all black chased the victim down Anson Street, shooting him three times. Surveillance footage as well as call detail records determined that on August 10, 2017, around 11:30 p.m., Freeman was in the area of Anson and 6th Streets and interacted with the victim. Freeman is subsequently seen leaving the area around 11:55 p.m. About a year and a half after the fatal shooting, a jailhouse witness provided numerous details regarding the murder, including that Freeman told him that he returned to the Anson Street area masked up and pulled his gun out on the victim and shot at him. The witness told investigators that Freeman told him he shot the victim, "stood over him and let him have it,” and watched as he fell to the ground. Freeman told the witness that the victim was saying "chill Jewla chill." The witness said Freeman was wearing black pants, a black hoodie and a mask at the time of the crime. Though the witness refused to testify at trial, his prior testimony at an earlier probable cause hearing about the murder of Benavides was admitted at this trial.
In total, 12 witnesses testified for the State, including three witnesses to the crime, indicating what they saw that night as well as a resident of the area who testified what she heard the night of the murder. In addition, the State was successful in admitting into evidence a rap video made and posted on social media by Freeman just one month after the homicide, where Freeman is heard in his lyrics, making specific admissions about how the shooting occurred. The Superior Court jury reached its verdict after less than a day of deliberations.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 23, 2024 in Milford Superior Court.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Marc Durso and Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Tatiana Messina, with the assistance of Inspector Herbert Johnson, Inspector Butch Hyatt and Paralegal Chelsea Meehan.