HARTFORD, Conn. — Editor's Note: The video above was published in December 2020.
A Massachusetts man who pleaded guilty to a 2020 kidnapping and murder earlier was sentenced to 42 years in federal prison on Wednesday.
Brandon Batiste, 36, who was last living Chicopee, Massachusetts, was sentenced to 504 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release for kidnapping and murdering Fransico Roman, Jr., whose body was found in a burning vehicle in Hartford.
The 28-year-old Roman died after Batiste and Calvin Roberson held him at gunpoint at his house in Chicopee and kidnapped him on Dec. 24, 2020. The two men threatened Roman, handcuffed him and stole cash and marijuana.
They then forced him into the back of his 2010 Acura ZDX and drove the vehicle to Connecticut. Batiste shot and killed Roman while the car was en route to Hartford. The car was driving to Shultas Place in Hartford and left it parked on the street.
Shortly before 9 p.m. on Dec. 26, 2020, Hartford firefighters responded to Shultas Place and found the car on fire. After the flames were extinguished, Roman’s body was found with multiple gunshot wounds.
Batiste was arrested on Feb. 11, 2021. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnapping and causing the death of a person through the use of a firearm on June 30, 2023.
Roberton pleaded guilty to the same charges in April 2023 and is awaiting sentencing.
In October, Shamari Smith, 34, of Manchester, Connecticut was also sentenced to more than 2 years in prison for her involvement in Roman’s death. She pleaded guilty to failing to report to law enforcement that she knew about Roman’s death.
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