The CT man was charged with murder in 2013 in a fatal drive-by shooting
Connecticut man fights two carjackers
Westport Police Department responded to a carjacking in which two suspects assaulted the owner of an Aston Martin in his garage in Norwalk, CT. (Credit: Westport Police Department)
- Donald Raynor, 38, was acquitted of a murder charge and released after a third trial, prompted by the state Supreme Court overturning his conviction.
- Raynor was arrested in 2013 for the 2007 drive-by shooting of Delano Gray.
- Despite a hung jury in the first trial, Raynor was convicted in the second trial in 2015 and sentenced to 60 years.
A Connecticut man who denies having led a violent Hartford gang has been acquitted of a murder charge and freed following a third trial that resulted from the state Supreme Court overturning his conviction.
Donald Raynor, now 38, broke down in tears when the state court jury announced its not guilty verdict Monday, said his lawyer, Trent LaLima. He was then freed after having spent the past decade detained on bail.
"I feel great, but I want to shine a light on how these people overreach and it’s not a fair process," Raynor said in a phone interview Tuesday. "And how the jury doesn’t seem to understand the full duties that they have to protect the citizens from arbitrary power of prosecution and judges."
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LaLima added, "Donald Raynor has been waiting 10 years in prison for a jury to say not guilty and finally that day has come."
Donald Raynor, 38, broke down in tears when the state court jury announced its not guilty verdict Monday, said his lawyer, Trent LaLima. He was then freed after having spent the past decade detained on bail. (Fox News)
Raynor was arrested in a cold case and charged with murder in 2013 in the drive-by fatal shooting of 22-year-old Delano Gray in 2007. Police alleged Raynor led the violent Money Green/Bedroc gang that had a "hit squad" and trafficked drugs in the city’s North End, while Gray was a rival gang member.
Raynor's first trial ended in a hung jury. He was convicted of murder in a second trial in 2015 and sentenced to 60 years in prison.
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The state Supreme Court in December 2020 overturned the conviction and ordered a third trial. Justices said in a 6-0 ruling that the trial judge improperly denied Raynor's request for a hearing to challenge the ballistics evidence in the case and improperly allowed evidence of alleged crimes by Raynor for which he was never charged.
Raynor maintained his innocence since being arrested. LaLima claimed the state's key witness was facing other murder and shooting charges and implicated Raynor in Gray's shooting to get a better plea deal.
The state Division of Criminal Justice, which includes prosecutors, said in a statement that it "respects the jury’s decision and thanks them for their service."
Now that he is free, Raynor said he wants to study Islam and start a dump truck company. In the meantime, he said he is getting reacclimated to society.
