Former Taunton man sentenced to prison in Fall River Superior Court for Murder, other charge, after fatal shooting

A former Taunton man who fled the state shortly after the November 2022 homicide of Ross Copeland has been sentenced in Fall River Superior Court to multiple charges connected to the killing, including Murder.

According to Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn III, now 39-year-old Jerome Fordham was arrested in Florida in July of 2023, waived rendition the next day, and was charged with Murder, Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon, Carrying an Illegal Firearm and Assault and Battery by means of a Firearm.

On November 6, 2022, at approximately 1:38 a.m., Taunton Police received a 911 call reporting that a male, later identified as Ross Copeland, 38, of Raynham, was bleeding and needed an ambulance at the corner of Mason and Myrtle streets. First responders located Copeland, who was suffering from an apparent gunshot wound, and rushed him to Morton Hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.

After an extensive investigation by Homicide Unit prosecutors, State Police detectives assigned to DA Quinn’s office and Taunton Police detectives, an arrest warrant was issued in January 2023.

In mid-July of 2023, a citizen in Tampa County, Florida saw a wanted poster for the defendant, which matched the identity of a man the citizen had seen living in a trailer park in that county. The citizen contacted local police in Florida, who then notified the US Marshalls about the tip. The defendant was taken into custody without incident at the trailer park on July 19th.

According to court records, on Tuesday, Fordham pled guilty to Second Degree Murder and Carrying a Firearm Without a License.

On Wednesday, Fordham was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole after 16 1/2 years with credit for 959 days already served.

Cait Sauter and Karen O’Sullivan prosecuted the case.