Jeter Simmons, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the first degree, was sentenced to eight years in prison, suspended after three years, on Monday, Jan. 15, the New Haven Judicial District State’s Attorney’s Office said. He will also serve three years of probation after his release.
Simmons, then 15, stabbed Dustin Cecarelli, 15, of Northford, in May 2023 during a fight outside Tuttle Elementary School, using a pocketknife.
According to prosecutors, Cecarelli approached Simmons from behind and began attacking him. Simmons pulled a pocketknife and fatally stabbed Cecarelli. The teen was rushed to Yale New Haven Hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Simmons expressed remorse during his sentencing hearing, apologized to Cecarelli’s family, and took responsibility for his actions.
An obituary for Cecarelli described him as a "great lover of music and writing" who "could often be seen journaling in one of his many notebooks. He enjoyed baseball, basketball, and riding his bike."
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