PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire District Attorney's Office obtained guilty convictions this week for two individuals who murdered 18-year-old Jaden Salois.

 

On Thursday, after more than two weeks of trial, a Berkshire Superior Court jury found brothers Chiry Omar Pascual-Polanco, 26, and Carlos Pascual-Polanco, 22, both of Pittsfield, guilty of murder in the first degree, two counts of possession of a firearm without an FID, two counts of possession of ammunition without an FID, and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

 

Judge Douglas Wilkins will schedule sentencing for a later date. First-degree murder convictions carry a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

 

The brothers operated a marijuana distribution operation through a fake social media account and used that to lure Salois, of Dalton, from an Edward Avenue home in Pittsfield and shot him in the back at approximately 2 a.m. on Jan. 20, 2019. The brothers then planned methods to avoid prosecution, which investigators uncovered.

 

Police arrested the brothers on April 5, 2019. The commonwealth called more than 30 witnesses during the two-week trial and proved that the pair acted premeditatedly in orchestrating the murder.

 

"I send my condolences to Jaden's loved ones. While nothing will bring him back, I am grateful that there is a measure of accountability for his cruel and senseless murder. This was the first homicide of my administration, and I am proud of the investigators and the trial team for their compelling presentation of the evidence that ultimately led to these convictions," said District Attorney Andrea Harrington. "Gun violence has no place in our community.”

 

A third co-defendant, Dasean Smith, 24 of Pittsfield, is also charged with murder and will be tried separately.