LAWRENCE — A 37-year-old Lynn man was convicted of first-degree murder and armed robbery Monday evening in Essex Superior Court — more than three years after he shot and killed Bryan Omar Mendez-Hernandez, 25, of Worcester.
Lynn Police responded to the intersection of Howard and Lander Streets at 5 a.m. Jan. 4, 2020, where Derell Guy — with an accomplice who has not yet been tried — approached Mendez-Hernandez outside an “after hours party” seeking his jewelry, officials said.
When Mendez-Hernandez —wearing a thick gold chain and a Rolex watch — took off running, Guy fired multiple shots at him, severely wounding him, officials said.
First responders transported Mendez-Hernandez to Salem Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Essex District Attorney Paul Tucker’s office said in a statement.
Following an investigation, Lynn Police Capt. Christopher Kelly said police secured a warrant for Guy’s arrest in late January 2020, but Guy then went “on the run,” and was apprehended by Lynn Police and State Police Troopers in Maine that July.
Kelly and Trooper Stephen Hernandez interviewed Guy in Maine, before bringing him back to Massachusetts to stand trial.
“This verdict is the result of a unified approach to solving and prosecuting crimes,” said Tucker in a statement. “We hope the verdict helps provide some comfort to Bryan’s family and friends, and reassurance to county residents that our team will be relentless in seeking justice.”
Assistant District Attorney Kim Gillespie led the prosecution of Guy and was assisted by Assistant District Attorney Anne Marie Gochis. Assistant District Attorney Mikki Defeo and Victim Witness Advocate Jocelyn Pichardo served as victim witness advocates for Mendez-Hernandez’s family.
Guy will be sentenced at Essex Superior Court in Lawrence at noon Friday, where the victim’s family will share impact statements before Judge Kathleen McCarthy.
Kelly said that he was grateful for the dedication that law enforcement officers put into the case over the course of three years. He added that he’s glad to see Mendez-Hernandez’s family get long-awaited justice.
“I’m grateful for the teamwork involved between the Lynn Police, the State Police, the District Attorney’s Office — it just takes a team effort. From Jan. 4, 2020 until basically almost three years later on Jan. 23 2023, it took a lot of work, a lot of hours, and a lot of teamwork to get to where we got to yesterday,” Kelly said. “It’s very satisfying. Knowing that we were able to obtain some sense of justice for the family who are obviously suffering, and will continue to suffer with the loss of a loved one.”
