2 men sentenced to prison for 2019 Taunton armed robbery and murder

A Fall River Superior Court judge sentenced two men to life in prison. He was found guilty of beating a man to death after robbing him in Taunton in 2019announced Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III.

Jerome Middleton and Khaylon Cruz were convicted earlier this month on first-degree murder and armed robbery charges in the January 2019 killing of Justin Paulo.

Cruz was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for murder and 6 to 10 years in prison for armed robbery.

Middleton, who was already serving a 9- to 12-year sentence for an unrelated armed robbery, was sentenced to life in prison with parole eligibility after 30 years. He was also sentenced to 6 to 10 years in prison for armed robbery.

“This was a brutal murder that occurred during a violent armed robbery in which the victim resisted his attackers,” Quinn said in a statement. “A significant portion of the incident was recorded with a Ring doorbell camera, highlighting the critical importance of technology in solving violent crimes.”