Killer gets 30 years, plus forgiveness

Relatives of convict, victim embrace outside court

BRIDGEPORT — It was a rare touching moment outside the criminal courtroom.

Relatives of an Ansonia man who had just gotten a 30-year sentence for fatally shooting a local man tearfully embraced the victim’s family Friday morning.

The family of Duhaney Watson said they would never forget what Mohamad Rahim had done to their loved one, but they could forgive.

“I’m sorry,” the 26-yearold Rahim cried as he earlier stood before Superior Court Judge Robert Devlin. “If I was in the right state of mind this never would have happened. I made a lifechanging mistake and I’m truly sorry.”

Rahim told police he initially just bought heroin from Watson but then decided to rob him, Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Marc Durso told the judge.

During a struggle over the gun, Durso said, Rahim shot the 37-year-old Watson in the head, killing him.

“It was a senseless, unnecessary crime,” the prosecutor argued, urging the judge to impose a 34-year prison term.

“Mr. Rahim feels tremendous remorse for what he did,” his lawyer, Francis O’Reilly, told the judge as Rahim, who was wearing three sets of rosary beads around his neck, stood with his head bowed.

Devlin noted that Rahim had gone through seven unsuccessful drug treatment programs prior to this crime.

“Something bad was clearly foreseeable, but while drugs are an explanation, they are not an excuse,” the judge said.

On Sept. 27, 2015, Watson was found slumped in a hallway on Charles Street with a bullet wound in his head. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said witnesses told them they heard a man yell, “He got shot! Go, go, go,” and saw a white sedan racing away from the scene. The car was later traced by police to Rahim, of Jewett Street in Ansonia.

Rahim later pleaded guilty to felony murder, first-degree robbery and criminal possession of a firearm. He is not eligible for parole.