On a tragic Friday afternoon, the life of 20-year-old Elson G. Miranda, a Black / African American male, was cut short in a brazen act of violence in Brockton, Massachusetts. On April 11, 2014, Miranda was inside the Lithuanian Family Restaurant, also known as The Lit Restaurant, on Ames Street when the fatal encounter occurred. Shortly before 12:30 p.m., a man with his face obscured entered the establishment through a rear door.
The assailant walked directly to Miranda and shot him
multiple times in the neck and chest. Witnesses at the scene described the chilling sequence of events as the gunman quickly fled, hopping a fence behind the restaurant and escaping in a gray Nissan getaway car that was waiting nearby. Emergency services were promptly called to the chaotic scene. Miranda was rushed to Signature Healthcare Hospital, where he was pronounced dead from his injuries. The Office of the State Medical Examiner later confirmed that the cause of death was gunshot wounds and ruled it a homicide.
The investigation, a joint effort by the Brockton Police and State Police detectives assigned to the Plymouth County District Attorney's Office, led them to a suspect, Kierft Noel. Investigators discovered that Noel and Miranda had a history of confrontations. Evidence presented at trial included witness testimony and physical evidence, such as sneaker imprints found near the scene that matched Noel's. Noel's whereabouts were unknown for a period following the shooting until his apprehension on an unrelated warrant on April 29, 2014.
After a six-day trial in Brockton Superior Court, a jury found Kierft Noel guilty of first-degree murder, unlawful possession of a loaded firearm, and possession of a loaded firearm without a license. For the murder of Elson G. Miranda, Noel was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, ensuring he would be held accountable for the violent and untimely death of the young Brockton man.
