Anthony Jalo, 23, of New Bedford was found guilty on Thursday, November 5, 2026, of murder, armed robbery and carrying a firearm without a license in the August 2024 shooting death of Aaron Britto, and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, according to court records cited by the Fall River Reporter and reporting by the New Bedford Guide. The case was tried in Fall River Superior Court.
Jalo was 21 when Britto was killed, the New Bedford Guide reported. That age is why the sentence was life without parole. Under a 2024 Supreme Judicial Court ruling, an offender who was 20 or younger could not have received it.
The killing
New Bedford police received a 911 call just after 1:30 a.m. on August 4, 2024, from Earle Street residents who heard gunshots, according to both outlets. Britto, 44, of New Bedford, was found wounded in the grass between the rear of the Morna Lounge and Grill and a residence at 234 Earle Street. He was pronounced dead at Saint Luke’s Hospital.
Prosecutors said surveillance video showed Jalo and Britto leaving the lounge and going behind the building, where Jalo shot Britto multiple times and took his jewelry, the Fall River Reporter reported, citing WJAR. The New Bedford Guide reported that prosecutors said Jalo took a chain necklace as Britto lay wounded and then shot him again. Jalo was arrested August 16, 2024, and held without bail, the New Bedford Guide reported.
Britto worked as a livery driver and was a father to a large family, the New Bedford Guide reported. His obituary said “there is nothing Aaron was prouder of and nothing he loved more than being a father,” the Fall River Reporter reported.
Why the sentence was automatic
A life without parole sentence is mandatory for first degree murder in Massachusetts. G.L. c. 265, § 2(a), which we read at malegislature.gov, says anyone “found guilty of murder in the first degree shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for life and shall not be eligible for parole.” The judge has no discretion to impose anything less.
There are two age exceptions:
| Age at the time of the killing | First degree murder sentence | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 14 to 17 | Life, with parole eligibility after a term the judge sets | G.L. c. 265, § 2(b); G.L. c. 279, § 24 |
| 18, 19 or 20 | Life without parole is unconstitutional | Commonwealth v. Mattis (SJC 2024) |
| 21 and older | Life without parole, mandatory | G.L. c. 265, § 2(a) |
The middle row comes from the Supreme Judicial Court. In Commonwealth v. Mattis, SJC-11693, decided January 11, 2024, which we read on CourtListener, the court extended its earlier ruling for juveniles in Diatchenko v. District Attorney for the Suffolk District, 466 Mass. 655 (2013), to “emerging adults,” which it defined as someone “eighteen, nineteen, or twenty years of age.” It concluded “that a sentence of life without the possibility of parole for emerging adult offenders violates art. 26,” the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights ban on cruel or unusual punishment. The court said its record and findings were “limited to offenders who are aged eighteen, nineteen, or twenty at the time of the crime,” although some evidence described people as old as 24 as emerging adults.
Mattis drew the line at 21. Jalo was 21 at the time of the killing, so the ruling does not apply to him, and the statute left the judge one sentence to impose.
What happens next
Every first degree murder conviction in Massachusetts gets a broader appeal than other cases. Under G.L. c. 278, § 33E, also read at malegislature.gov, the Supreme Judicial Court considers “the whole case,” the law and the evidence, and may order a new trial or reduce the verdict to a lesser degree of guilt “for any other reason that justice may require.” No outlet had reported whether Jalo plans to appeal, or the name of his lawyer.
The New Bedford Guide reported that an accomplice testified in exchange for immunity, and that Jalo was separately charged in connection with an armed carjacking on August 14, 2024. We have not seen a second outlet report the status of that case.
Frequently asked questions
Is life without parole mandatory for first degree murder in Massachusetts?
Yes, for someone who was 21 or older at the time of the crime. G.L. c. 265, § 2(a) makes it the only sentence.
Can an 18 to 20 year old get life without parole in Massachusetts?
No. In Commonwealth v. Mattis (2024), the SJC held that life without parole for offenders who were 18, 19 or 20 at the time of the crime violates article 26 of the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights.
How are first degree murder appeals different?
Under G.L. c. 278, § 33E, the SJC reviews the whole case and can order a new trial or reduce the verdict for any reason justice requires, not just for errors the defense raised.
Sources: Fall River Reporter, November 2026, citing court records and WJAR; New Bedford Guide, November 6, 2026. G.L. c. 265, § 2, and G.L. c. 278, § 33E, read at malegislature.gov. Commonwealth v. Mattis, SJC-11693 (Jan. 11, 2024), read on CourtListener; Diatchenko v. District Attorney for the Suffolk District, 466 Mass. 655 (2013), verified on CourtListener. General information, not legal advice.