In a case that couldn't possibly have a cheerful ending for any of the young people involved or their families, the first conviction has been made regarding the slaying of an 18-year-old from Danbury.

According to the News Times, it was a grim scene inside the Danbury court room Thursday (March 21) when friends and family tearfully watched 16-year-old Ronald Massagli plead guilty to manslaughter.

As we've previously reported, Massagli was originally charged with felony murder, threatening a witness, robbery, and conspiracy to commit murder following the death of 18-year-old Gabe Bardo. Now that Massagli has accepted the plea deal, his charge of manslaughter carries a four to fifteen year prison sentence.

It was admitted in court that on August 5, 2017, Gabriel Bara-Bardo was attacked by Massagli, 16-year-old co-defendant Lorenzo Santana, and two other teenagers while he waited in his car to deliver a $30 bag of marijuana. Massagli confessed that he and Santana had smashed Bara-Bardo's car windshield and punched the victim in the head. An autopsy showed that Bara-Bardo died from bleeding on the brain caused by a blunt impact.

After the guilty plea, the News Times asked Gabe's father, Jeff Bardo, for his thoughts, to which he replied shortly:

We are still very upset.

Along with Massagli, Lorenzo Santana is being tried as an adult, and the two other juveniles involved have yet to be sentenced.

It's such and incredible shame that one life was lost and four others have been ruined before they even got started.

 

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