Pittsfield man found guilty of first-degree murder in 2022 shooting
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - A Berkshire County jury on Thursday found a Pittsfield man guilty of first-degree murder in the deadly 2022 shooting of 43-year-old Teddy Cepeda.
Desmond Phillip, 45, of Pittsfield, was convicted in Berkshire Superior Court on multiple charges Thursday stemming from a deadly 2022 shooting that resulted in the death of 43-year-old Teddy Cepeda.
The charges stem from a September 30, 2022, shooting at 7 Goodrich Street in Pittsfield, where officers received reports of gunfire. When they arrived, they found Cepeda unresponsive with a gunshot wound to the chest. He was taken to Berkshire Medical Center, where he later died.
Investigators determined Cepeda had gone to the residence to pick up a woman, Courtney Haner, with whom he had a prior relationship. Haner was living at the address with Phillip, who prosecutors said had a history of jealousy. According to evidence presented at trial, Phillip had armed himself with an illegal, loaded firearm before Cepeda arrived.
A verbal altercation occurred between the two men, during which Phillip fired a single, deadly shot at Cepeda’s chest.
Phillip was convicted on four charges:
- First-degree murder
- Illegal possession of a firearm
- Possession of a firearm without a Firearm Identification (FID) card
- Possession of ammunition without an FID card
The murder conviction carries a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole.
Prosecutors presented crime scene photographs, surveillance footage, Facebook messages, and eyewitness accounts. The defense claimed Phillip acted in self-defense, but jurors rejected that argument, determining that Phillip did not attempt to retreat from the confrontation — a requirement under Massachusetts law before using deadly force in self-defense.
District Attorney Timothy Shugrue praised the verdict and the team involved in the prosecution, stating that it reflected his office’s commitment to holding violent offenders accountable. “When I took office, I pledged to the community that I would not tolerate gun violence,” Shugrue said in a statement. “Today, that pledge was once again fulfilled.”
Phillip is scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday, July 10, at 2 p.m. in Berkshire Superior Court. He faces a mandatory life sentence on the murder charge and additional sentencing on the firearm convictions.