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.

The Investigation and Sentencing

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.
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.

Other Suspects Involved

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.

Emotional Toll on the Family

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 fully heal the wound of losing a loved one to senseless violence. The case highlights the tragic consequences of disputes and the importance of resolving conflicts peacefully.

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 from a shooting incident outside her home in Waterbury.
• Q: Who was Mabel Martinez Antongiorgi’s daughter?
  A: Yarimar Mercado Martinez, a Puerto Rican Olympic athlete.
• Q: What is the status of the other suspects involved in the case?
  A: Franklin Robinson was sentenced to 90 years in prison, and Levi Brock awaits trial after pleading not guilty to multiple charges.