A 25-year-old Haverhill man was convicted today of stabbing one man to death and seriously injuring another outside a bar in Haverhill four years ago.
After a six-day trial in Salem Superior Court, a jury found Hayden Delafuente guilty of second-degree murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury and armed assault with intent to kill. Twenty-eight-year-old Matthew S. Sabatino of Lawrence died after being stabbed Memorial Day weekend 2017 when trying to break up a fight on Washington Street in downtown Haverhill. Daniel Doore of Haverhill, now 34, was also stabbed five times, two of them to his lower back, and taken to Lawrence General Hospital as a result of the fight.
“This was a senseless act of violence,” Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett said. “I’d like to thank the jury for their service and hope that their verdict will provide the friends and loved ones of Mr. Sabatino some peace.”
Judge Thomas Drechsler scheduled sentencing for June 30.
Essex Assistant District Attorneys Erin Bellavia and Jessica Strasnick introduced evidence proving Delafuente fatally stabbed Sabatino and seriously injured Doore.
At trial, jurors heard from witnesses who testified that Sabatino was out with his finance, Doore and Doore’s girlfriend that night. Delafuente confronted Doore as the group was walking away from a bar on the street. While this was happening, Sabatino came back to the area and was stabbed in the heart. Doore was also stabbed five times, two of them to his lower back.
Sabatino was medflighted to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he later died on June 8, 2017. Sabatino was engaged to Courtney L. Trussell of Lawrence and had two children, Logan M. and Falyn M. Sabatino.
Bellavia and Strasnick were assisted by Essex Victim Advocate Michelle DeFeo and thanked Massachusetts State Police Trooper Matthew Murphy and Haverhill Detectives Jack Moses, since retired, and Rick Welch for their work on the investigation.