Manchester man gets 45-life for murdering his seven-year-old son

Mohammad Murtadah, left, and his son, Jaevion Riley IMurtadah/police mugshot; Jaevon/courtesy of family)

MANCHESTER - A Manchester man was sentenced on Tuesday for the murder of his seven-year-old son in January 2023.

"This was a heartbreaking case, and today's sentence reflects the severity of the defendant's actions," said Attorney General John M. Formella. "We are deeply grateful to the trial team, investigators, and Manchester Police for their hard work and dedication in securing justice for Jaevion Riley. While no sentence can undo this tragedy, we hope it offers some measure of accountability and closure."

On April 1 Mohammad Murtadah, 27, pleaded guilty to reckless Second-Degree Murder, when he admitted that he had recklessly, with extreme indifference to the value of human life, caused the death of Jaevion by subjecting him to abusive violence and not obtaining timely medical assistance for his injuries. Murtadah also pleaded guilty to one count of Falsifying Physical Evidence by staging a claimed spill accident causing scalding injuries suffered by his son.

After a sentencing hearing, the court sentenced Murtadah to 45 years to life in state prison, stand committed, on the murder count, and a consecutive sentence of two to four years on the falsification count, to be suspended for 10 years upon release on the murder sentence.