HARTFORD, Conn. — A 47-year-old man from Bloomfield, Troy Hayes, has been sentenced to 55 years in prison for the murder of Dyshawn Copeland, 38, and the assault of a female victim in 2020 in Hartford. Hayes was found guilty of murder and assault in the first degree in September, leading to his recent sentencing.
The incident took place on the evening of May 21, 2020, when police received a 911 call from the female victim reporting that she and her friend had been stabbed. Upon arriving at the scene on Sherman Street in Hartford, officers found Mr. Copeland lying on steps inside the building. Despite being taken to the hospital, Mr. Copeland succumbed to his injuries.
According to the surviving victim, she and Mr. Copeland were waiting for a food delivery when she thought the delivery driver had arrived. When she opened the door, Hayes was waiting outside. He entered the building and poured wine over Copeland’s head before fatally stabbing him. Hayes then attempted to stab the woman, but she was able to defend herself, sustaining stab wounds to the arm.
During the trial, multiple witnesses testified to seeing a man on a red scooter in the area at the time of the incident, and surveillance video footage also showed the defendant driving his red scooter.
It was a brutal and tragic incident that led to devastating consequences for the victims and their families. The sentencing of 55 years in prison reflects the gravity of the crime and aims to bring some measure of justice to the affected parties.