Manslaughter verdict in Aristy trial

SALEM – Family members of the Lynn native brutally beaten outside a Lynn warehouse in October 2010 reacted differently Wednesday to the news that a jury had found Fernando Aristy guilty of voluntary manslaughter.?I?m sick to my stomach,” said Janet McDonald, mother of Chad McDonald, who died on Oct. 20, 2010 of injuries he received during a fight with Aristy outside a Bennett Street warehouse 11 days earlier. A witness testified he saw Aristy hit McDonald with a wooden board, which Aristy vehemently denied under oath.?Chad didn?t hit himself with the board,” Janet McDonald said via phone from Jacksonville, Fla. “But (Aristy) just getting up on the stand and outright lying should have told them something.”Lawyers, family members and a few curious onlookers filled the Salem Superior courtroom around 3:30 p.m. to hear the verdict in the trial, which began on Feb. 1.McDonald?s wife, Michelle McDonald, as well as other family members could be seen crying and hugging before the jury entered, and one family member cried out as the verdict was read. Aristy?s family expressed no emotion throughout the reading.The manslaughter conviction means Aristy will receive a lesser sentence than if the jury had convicted him of first-degree murder. District Attorney Spokeswoman Carrie Kimball Monahan said the maximum sentence for manslaughter is 20 years in prison.Defense attorney Ray Buso requested the jury be polled individually on the verdict, but all 12 jurors had the same response.Judge David Lowy will sentence Aristy Friday at 2 p.m.Michelle McDonald, visibly relieved following the verdict reading, declined to comment except to say she was “definitely happy” with the result.But Janet McDonald said she was disgusted with the verdict.?He?ll still be able to live his life,” she said. “He?s already got the killer instinct in him – he?ll probably do it again.”On Tuesday Michelle McDonald told the Item she has tried to stay strong for her teenage son Chad “CJ” McDonald Jr. in the 17 months since her husband?s death.?People keep saying, ?Oh, you?re so strong,? but really what choice do I have?” she said. Michelle McDonald also described the circumstances under which Chad McDonald died as “ridiculous.”Buso, who was outspoken throughout the trial about doubting the credibility of key prosecution witness Wilfredo Mordan, who had a 14-year history of crime in the U.S. prior to his deportation last March, said he will be seeking a new trial under the manslaughter charge because Mordan fled from justice Thursday night following his testimony.Mordan was brought back into the country by the District Attorney?s office last June in order to testify under the condition that he go back to his native Dominican Republic after he testified.But Buso said Mordan went off the grid Thursday night following his testimony and did not get on a flight the DA?s office scheduled him on. A gag order issued Friday ensured the jury did not know about Mordan?s escape, Buso said.The Salem attorney said he will “almost certainly” wait until after the sentencing to motion for a new trial. If Lowy does not grant the motion, Buso said he will appeal.Essex Assistant District Attorney Maureen Wilson-Leal praised the work of the entire trial team in a press release. She also acknowledged the work of the Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the District Attorney?s Office and Lynn Police Dets. Steve Pohle and Thomas Mulvey.Taylor Provost can be reached at [email protected].