Life Sentence for 2018 Murder
BOSTON, January 12, 2022—A man who participated in the 2018 fatal shooting of 29-year-old Yashua Amado was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole today, Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin R. Hayden announced.
A Suffolk Superior Court jury on December 16 convicted DEWANE TSE, 37, of Providence, Rhode Island, of first-degree murder and armed assault with intent to murder. The jury found Tse not guilty on a second count of armed assault with intent to murder.
At his sentencing this morning, Judge Anthony Campo imposed the mandatory term for the offense of first-degree murder: life in prison without the possibility of parole. He imposed an additional term of 10 years to 10 years and a day in state prison on the charge of armed assault with intent to murder, which will run concurrent with Tse’s life sentence.
“The true toll of homicide and of gun violence is immeasurable. The Amado family will never again be whole. The Mattapan community where Yashua was murdered has been repeatedly traumatized by senseless violence and homicide. We cannot and will not tolerate this,” DA Hayden said. “My office is dedicated to holding accountable anyone who takes up a firearm or who plays a role in an act of gun violence, and we will continue to provide impactful support to the victims, families and communities that have been harmed.”
During Tse’s December trial, Assistant District Attorney Andrew Kettlewell introduced evidence and testimony to prove that Tse participated in Amado’s August 14, 2018, murder. On the date he was murdered, Amado and a friend picked up breakfast in Mattapan Square. While parked and sitting inside his car on Deering Road at 9:46 a.m, an unidentified gunman exited a red GMC Acadia and approached the victim’s vehicle. He fired multiple shots into the vehicle’s driver’s side and windshield. He then returned to the waiting SUV and fled the area.
Evidence gathered during the course of an investigation by detectives assigned to the Boston Police Department Homicide Unit proved that, two days prior to the shooting, Tse had rented a red GMC Acadia. Security camera footage from that morning depicted Mr. Tse’s vehicle in the area before Mr. Amado and one of the surviving victims arrived in Mattapan Square. Mr Tse’s vehicle then followed Mr. Amado’s vehicle as he and the surviving victim traveled up Blue Hill Avenue to Deering Road. The red SUV parked on Deering Road for about three minutes in total, allowing the gunman to exit the vehicle, blast the fatal volley of bullets and then re-enter the SUV before it fled the area. Security camera footage captured Tse returning the rented vehicle to the Government Center parking garage approximately one hour after Amado’s murder.
“Today’s sentencing ensures that one of the individuals who executed Yashua Amado has been held accountable. However, the individual who armed himself with a gun and robbed Yashua of his life remains unidentified and at large. The office that I now lead will continue to work with our partners in law enforcement in an effort to hold that individual accountable and ensure that Yashua’s loved ones have access to ongoing support,” DA Hayden said.
Amado’s father recalled his son as a “truly enlightened soul” in a handwritten impact statement provided to the court prior to sentencing.
“No words can begin to express the grief that plagues my heart and mind each day of my life, due to the loss of my son Yashua. The emotions that surge through my body are unexplainable and overwhelming,” he wrote. “I miss him dearly. Yashua was loving, kind, and compassionate. He was genuine. His smile was infectious, his laughter streamed joy and his mind was profound.”
ADA Craig Iannini, Chief of the DA’s Senior Trial Unit, was second chair at trial. Edith Ayuso of the DA’s Homicide Unit is the assigned Victim Witness Advocate. Tse was represented by attorney Jeffrey Miller.
Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin R. Hayden’s office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop, Mass. The office handles over 20,000 cases a year. More than 160 attorneys in the office practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Supreme Judicial Court, and the Boston Juvenile Courts. The office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs to serve anyone who comes in contact with the criminal justice system. This office is committed to educating the public about the services we provide, our commitment to crime prevention, and our dedication to keeping the residents of Suffolk County safe.