Third man convicted in 2023 Dorchester homicide

BOSTON, August 27, 2026 – A South Boston man will be sentenced tomorrow (Friday) in Suffolk Superior Court for his role in a 2023 Dorchester shooting that killed a 41-year-old Boston man, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden announced.

PATRICK HARLAND, 32, was found guilty Tuesday by a Suffolk jury of first-degree murder, witness intimidation, accessory before the fact, and possession of a firearm. He will be sentenced by Judge Christopher Belezos on Friday, August 28 at 10 a.m. in courtroom 808.

At about 12:52 a.m. on December 30, 2023, Boston police responded to 417 Geneva Avenue for a person shot. Earlier in the evening, Patrick Harland and his then girlfriend got into a verbal altercation with the victim, Curtis Effee, and his girlfriend about the use of a vehicle.

At about 12:45 a.m., Harland sent a Facebook message to his girlfriend’s nephew, Dasahn Crowder, prompting Crowder to come to the house. Harland informed the people at 417 Geneva Avenue that Crowder was coming to the area with a gun. Crowder arrived with another man, Tyreese Robinson, a few minutes later. Crowder, Robinson, Harland, Effee, and others started fighting. During the fight, Harland brandished a knife and pointed it at Effee.

Crowder then took out a firearm and shot in Effee's direction. A few moments after Crowder opened fire, Robinson took out a firearm and shot in the same direction. Effee was hit and died from his wounds at the scene. Crowder and Robinson fled in a car and were arrested together the next day. Harland fled the scene on foot and was arrested on March 25, 2024. 

After the homicide, Harland’s girlfriend ended their relationship. Harland sent her several messages threatening her, her children, and her mother. Harland also posted a fake missing person’s bulletin including her minor children’s names and ages and the address of her workplace.

Crowder and Robinson pled guilty on June 23 to manslaughter, unlawful possession of a firearm, and six counts of armed assault with intent to murder and were sentenced to up to 30 years in state prison.

“This is a tragic example of a dispute leading to a horrible act of violence that could have been handled differently and not led to one person being shot dead and three others facing lengthy prison sentences. The elevation of this situation by rash and poor decision-making caused extraordinary harm to the people involved and to the entire community,” Hayden said.

All charged individuals are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden’s office serves the communities of Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop. Our office handles more than 20,000 cases a year. Nearly 160 assistant district attorneys practice in nine district and municipal courts, Suffolk Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the Boston and Chelsea Juvenile Courts and the Supreme Judicial Court. Our office employs some 300 people and offers a wide range of services and programs for anyone encountering the criminal justice system. We are committed to educating the public about our mission and services while focusing on crime prevention to keep the residents, workers and visitors of Suffolk County safe.

James Borghesani, Chief of Communications