Massachusetts man convicted of murdering 25-year-old after chasing him down, firing series of shots

A Massachusetts man has been convicted of first-degree murder for fatally shooting another man while robbing him of his jewelry in January 2020.

According to the District Attorney’s Office, 37-year-old Derell Guy of Lynn was found guilty of first-degree murder on the theories of extreme atrocity and cruelty, and of felony murder. An Essex Superior Court jury sitting in Lawrence also convicted Guy of armed robbery.

The victim was Bryan Omar Mendez-Hernandez, 25, of Worcester.

Over the course of the two-week trial, Assistant District Attorney Kim Gillespie proved that Guy confronted Mendez-Hernandez at Howard and Lander streets in Lynn early on Jan. 4, 2020, seeking his jewelry.

After Mendez-Hernandez fled, Guy chased him down and fired a series of shots, evidence showed. Mendez-Hernandez pleaded to be taken to a hospital as he suffered from mortal wounds, according to an audio recording played at the trial.

“This verdict is the result of a unified approach to solving and prosecuting crimes,” said Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker. “We hope the verdict helps provide some comfort to Bryan’s family and friends, and reassurance to county residents that our team will be relentless in seeking justice.”

Gillespie was assisted in the prosecution by Assistant District Attorney Anne Marie Gochis.

Assistant District Attorney Mikki Defeo and victim witness advocate Jocelyn Pichardo served as victim witness advocates for Mendez-Hernandez’s family.

Members of the Lynn Police Department, including Captain Chris Kelly, as well as troopers from the Essex County State Police Detective Unit, including Trooper Stephen Hernandez, conducted the investigation.

Guy was represented during the trial by defense counsel Michael Phelan of Lynn.