Jaiden Ciruzzi Pleads Guilty To Murdering Memorial High Student Ian Jewell In 2017 Shooting Incident
Jaiden Ciruzzi, now 20 years old appeared in front of Judge William Delker in Hillsborough County Superior Court Monday afternoon.
Circuzzi was accused of shooting Ian Jewell in a vehicle parked in a parking lot of a Goffstown hardware store in 2017. Circuzzi, who was 16 at the time of the shooting, ran from the scene.
Despite people in the area providing immediate medical aid, Jewell who attended Manchester Memorial High School, died of a single gunshot wound to the chest.
At the time of the shooting, police said the two had met and that Jewell was there to sell LSD to Ciruzzi. The two boys and Ian’s girlfriend met in the car which was parked at Ace Hardware. The boys got in the back seat, and according to court records, Circuzzi fired the gun, striking Jewell in the chest and leg.
Circuzzi ran from the scene taking some of the drugs and the gun he used. He ran to a nearby apartment where he hid the stolen gun under a mattress that police later discovered.
Court paperwork indicated that Circuzzi had traded drugs for two stolen handguns. At the time of shooting, Circuzzi was using a semi-automatic Ruger LC9 handgun that was later recovered hidden under a mattress at an apartment.
The trial was delayed by several factors including; the time it took to certify Circuzzi as an adult, the initial claim of self-defense, Circuzzi firing his initial public defender, and then covid related delays. Circuzzi has remained jailed at Valley Street Jail since the initial arrest on November 22, 2017.
Circuzzi plead guilty to Reckless Second Degree murder in a negotiated “cap sentence plea” which states he will not be sentenced to more than 37 years to life. The actual sentence is determined by the judge who will hold a hearing on June 2nd, but can not exceed the “cap".
Several agreements in the plea were read by Peter Hinkley, Senior Assistant Attorney General Ciruzzi will receive credit for 1,653 days served since his arrest on November 22, 2017. He is eligible for two years off his minimum sentence if he has no disciplinary incidents in the first five years. He is eligible for 1 year off the minimum sentence if he completes an associate's degree, and an additional 2 years if he completes a bachelor’s degree.
He is responsible for reimbursement of funeral expenses to Ian Jewell’s family, waives sentence review
Circuzzi stood quietly between his defense team as Judge Delker read the agreement. The parents of Ian Jewell sat in the front row of the courtroom with a victim's advocate and left after the court proceeding was complete without making any comments.
©Jeffrey Hastings www.frameofmindphoto.com/news
