Court Reverses Conviction in Dedham Man's Slaying

BOSTON - Errors in the trial judge's jury instructions led the state Appeals Court to overturn the 2012 manslaughter conviction of Miguel Fantauzzi in the fatal shooting of a Dedham man in a drug deal gone bad.

In its decision Tuesday, Appeals Court Chief Justice Scott L. Kafker wrote that the trial judge erroneously instructed the jury that in considering a verdict of second-degree murder the jurors could reduce felony murder to voluntary manslaughter without considering self defense.

"This was confusing and incorrect,'' Kafker wrote. "Most importantly , they were not instructed, as the defense requested, that self defense is an absolute defense that could result in a not guilty of both felony murder and voluntary manslaughter.''

The verdict was overturned, Kafker wrote, "Because we conclude the defendant was entitled to such an instruction...we cannot say that the elimination of self-defense from this calculus did not substantially sway the verdict when self defense was the primary defense.''

In October of 2013, Miguel Fantauzzi, then 25, of Chelsea, was sentenced to 12-15 years in prison for involuntary manslaughter and illegal possession of a firearm for the Oct. 27, 2012 fatal shooting of Christopher Powell, of Dedham, during a drug deal gone bad, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office.

Prosecutors alleged that Fantauzzi shot Powell, 35, inside a vehicle on Clark Avenue in Chelsea. Powell and another man had arranged to meet Fantauzzi to buy 10 grams of heroin, but attempted to rob him instead. One of the victims put a knife to Fantauzzi's throat telling him, "Give me everything you got or I'll stab you.''

When Fantauzzi tried to open a car door to escape, he was pulled back in and Powell reached for Fantauzzi with a stun gun.

Fantauzzi, who was carrying a firearm because he had been robbed before, pulled out his gun and began firing without aiming. He shot Powell repeatedly, striking him in the chest - a fatal shot - two gunshot wounds to his scrotum and multiple gun shot wounds to his arms and legs.

The Suffolk County District Attorney can appeal the decision.