CT Man Sentenced to 33 Years in Prison for Killing of Olympian’s Mother
Introduction to the Case
A Connecticut man was sentenced to 33 years in prison on Tuesday for the stray-bullet killing of a Puerto Rican Olympic athlete’s mother.
Jasper Greene, 23, of New Haven, was one of three men charged in the death of Mabel Martinez Antongiorgi on April 9, 2022. The 56-year-old woman was sewing in her home in Waterbury, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) southwest of Hartford, when a bullet flew through a wall and hit her in the head.
The Victim and Her Family
Martinez Antongiorgi’s daughter, Yarimar Mercado Martinez, competed for the family’s native Puerto Rico in rifle shooting at the Olympics in 2016, 2021 and 2024. She was in Brazil for another competition when her mother was killed.
Greene pleaded guilty to murder in February. His lawyer did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment after Tuesday’s sentencing in Waterbury Superior Court.
The Events Leading to the Shooting
According to court testimony, the fatal shooting stemmed from a dispute that one of the suspects, Franklin Robinson, had with a man who said hello to his girlfriend. Robinson, Greene and another man shot up a car parked on Martinez Antongiorgi’s street, thinking the man was inside it. A bullet went into Martinez Antongiorgi’s home. Another bystander was wounded but survived.
The Trial and Sentencing
A jury convicted Robinson of murder and other charges in 2023 and he was later sentenced to 90 years in prison.
The third suspect, Levi Brock, has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges in the case, including murder, and awaits trial.
Aftermath and Reaction
At the time of her mother’s death, Mercado Martinez lamented in social media posts that she “couldn’t even say goodbye.”
“Why you? Why this way?” she wrote. “You were just sitting in your little house sewing, as you always did.”
Martinez Antongiorgi and her husband of over 30 years, John Luis Mercado, moved to Waterbury from Puerto Rico a few years after the U.S. territory endured 2017’s devastating Hurricane Maria. At the time of her death, they had set a date to renew their wedding vows, their daughter wrote at the time.
Conclusion
The sentencing of Jasper Greene to 33 years in prison brings some closure to the family of Mabel Martinez Antongiorgi, but it will never bring back the loving mother and wife who was taken from them too soon. The case serves as a reminder of the senseless violence that can occur when disputes escalate into deadly shootings.
FAQs
Q: Who was sentenced to 33 years in prison?
A: Jasper Greene, a 23-year-old man from New Haven, Connecticut.
Q: What was the cause of Mabel Martinez Antongiorgi’s death?
A: A stray bullet flew through a wall and hit her in the head while she was sewing in her home.
Q: Who was Mabel Martinez Antongiorgi’s daughter?
A: Yarimar Mercado Martinez, a Puerto Rican Olympic athlete who competed in rifle shooting.
Q: What was the dispute that led to the shooting?
A: A dispute between one of the suspects, Franklin Robinson, and a man who said hello to his girlfriend.
