On a Saturday afternoon, March 4, 2023, the life of 56-year-old Jose Despeignes, a Black/African American male from Hyde Park, was tragically cut short in a third-floor apartment at 109 Weaver Way in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood. Boston police responded to a call for a person shot at approximately 3:31 p.m. and found Despeignes suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Earlier that afternoon, two men had entered the residence.
A witness present at the scene recognized one of the men as "2G". The unidentified second man accompanied him. The man known as "2G" asked for some marijuana and to take a shower. At some point, Despeignes came down from an upper floor and handed "2G" a "blunt" of marijuana.
The witness then went upstairs to clean a bathroom. While the witness was cleaning, "2G" came up the stairs. The witness then heard a "pop" that was believed to be a gunshot. Upon checking an adjacent bedroom, the witness discovered Despeignes lying on the floor.
The witness confronted "2G," who allegedly admitted to the shooting. The apparent motive for the tragic act was jealousy; "2G" claimed to have seen Despeignes leaving his girlfriend's house the night before. Through further investigation, which included video evidence from outside the residence, police identified "2G" as 36-year-old Austin Dillon of Dorchester. Dillon was arrested on the evening of Monday, March 6, and subsequently charged with murder and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition, third offense. He was arraigned in Roxbury Municipal Court and ordered held without bail. Authorities have stated that they are still seeking the second man who was with Dillon at the time of the incident.
