October 14, 2016
For Immediate Release
Contact: Lindsay Corcoran 508-368-7252 or 774-670-8811
WORCESTER — Dinkue Brown was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after being found guilty of first-degree murder in the 2013 shooting death of Luis R. Rodriguez in Fitchburg, according to Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early, Jr.
Brown, 30, of 33 Adams St., Fitchburg faced a mandatory life sentence after a Worcester Superior Court jury found him guilty on Sept. 29 of devising a plan to have a colleague rob Rodriguez on June 21, 2013. The colleague, Dax A. Gibson, shot and killed Rodriguez inside his apartment during the robbery.
Rodriguez ran from his apartment and was found bleeding on the neighbor’s porch a short time later. He was taken to Leominster Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Judge David Ricciardone imposed the mandatory life sentence on Friday. Brown was sentenced to an addition 20 to 25 years on the charges of home invasion and armed assault in a dwelling, as well as an additional 18 to 20 years on the charge of armed assault with intent to rob, two and a half years for possession of a loaded firearm, and an additional two years each for the charges of possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition with an FID card. All sentences are set to be served concurrently with his life sentence.
Early thanked prosecution team Michael McHugh, John Sares and Susan Oftring for their work on this case, as well as the State Police Detectives assigned to the District Attorney’s Office and Fitchburg Police for their investigation. He also thanked Indiana State Police for apprehending Brown, Richmond, Va., Police for capturing Gibson and the U.S. Marshals who were involved in the arrest of both men.