Jury selection begins in Groton murder trial
Jury selection began Monday in New London Superior Court for the trial of the man accused of murdering Joey Gingerella in Groton on Dec. 11, 2016.
Dante A. Hughes, 32, has pleaded not guilty to murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and criminal possession of a firearm and opted for a jury trial. By agreement of both the prosecution and defense, jurors will decide the first two charges and Judge Barbara Bailey Jongbloed then will rule on whether the state has proven the third charge.
Four of the 16 jurors needed for the trial, which begins July 10 and is expected to last two to three weeks, were selected on the first day. The panel will be comprised of 12 regular members and four alternates.
In taking his case to trial, Hughes rejected an offer from the state to plead guilty in exchange for a 40- year prison sentence, 32 years of which was mandatory. If convicted, he faces up to 75 years in prison. He has been held in lieu of a $550,000 bond at the Northern Correctional Institution since he was arrested two days after the shooting as police say he attempted to cross the border into Canada in Niagara Falls, N.Y.
According to Groton Town Police, Hughes was battering his girlfriend, Latoya S. Knight, in the parking lot of Ryan’s Pub when Gingerella and others stepped in and attempted to stop the beating. Witnesses said Hughes shot Gingerella three times then fled in the direction of Fort Hill Road. Knight was charged with lying to police about the do- mestic incident and has a case pending in the same court. She is expected to be called as a witness at the trial.
State’s attorneys Paul J. Narducci and Christa L. Baker are prosecuting with assistance from Inspector Rhett D’Amico. Hughes’ has retained Hartford attorney Walter D. Hussey. Hughes wore a dress shirt and slacks at the defense table Monday and huddled with his attorney as they decided whether potential jurors were acceptable. Family members of both Hughes and Gingerella have attended the approximately 20 court appearances Hughes made while his case was pending. They weren’t in the courtroom for the first day of jury selection but are expected to be present when the trial begins.
Selecting jurors unfamilar with the case may be a chal- lenge, since the victim, 24-yearold Joey Gingerella of Groton, had shared publicly his battle with addiction to opioid painkillers and inspired his mother and stepfather, Tammy and Joe de la Cruz, to start the grassroots group Community Speaks Out. Gingerella had been an all-star baseball player at Fitch High School and remained a fixture on local baseball diamonds. Mourners packed the high school’s auditorium for his funeral. Joe de la Cruz had served on the Groton Town Council and had been elected to serve as a state representative when Gingerella was killed.
One potential juror, a middle- aged man, was excused after telling the judge, “I’m good friends with the parents of the victim.” A young woman was excused after she said she knew Gingerella from Ryan’s Pub and “the Groton scene.” Another woman appeared emotional when she was called into the courtroom for individual questioning. She said she was familiar with all of the names on the list of potential witnesses and was friends with Gingerella and his family. She, too, was excused.
“To be honest, it’s gotten out there a little bit on TV, newspapers and social media,” Hussey asked one juror. “Did you hear anything?
“No sir,” the man responded. He was deemed acceptable by both the state and defense and was selected to serve on the jury.
The state will rely heavily on testimony from eyewitnesses to the shooting who provided slightly different versions of the incident when interviewed by town police.
“Sometimes people will see the same thing and describe it differently,” Narducci asked potential jurors. “That doesn’t mean they’re not telling the truth. Any problem with that?”
Witnesses said Gingerella was at the Fort Hill Road bar when Hughes and Knight entered about 1:25 a.m. Knight looked as if she’d been crying, and the couple argued inside the bar before walking out.
Gingerella and two other patrons followed the couple into the parking lot to make sure Knight was safe, according to witnesses. Hughes was allegedly punching Knight in the face when Gingerella and others attempted to stop him. They said Hughes shot Gingerella and fled in the direction of the Poquonnock Bridge neighborhood where he lived.
Gingerella died of gunshot wounds to the torso and extremities.