Jail Cell

By Josh Lanier From Daily Voice

A Western Massachusetts man will spend life in prison for killing his former roommate more than a decade ago. 

John Yang, 44, of Fitchburg, was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 20 years on Tuesday, Nov. 4, for the 2013 killing of 33-year-old Shaun Hibbard, according to Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr.

A Worcester County jury found Yang guilty of second-degree murder last month after a multi-day trial.

Police said Hibbard was shot just after 4 a.m. Aug. 3, 2013, on Forest Street in Fitchburg. Officers and state police detectives found him on the front porch. He was taken to Leominster Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Investigators said Hibbard was shot during a confrontation near his vehicle, parked at Forest and Charles Streets. After being hit, he ran up Forest Street knocking on doors for help. The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide.

Yang, prosecutors said, shot and killed the man after Hibbard tried to steal from a home where Yang sold drugs. Assistant District Attorney Thomas Ayres told jurors that Yang had also orchestrated the firebombing of Hibbard’s home weeks earlier after Hibbard stole money, drugs, and guns from him. 

Yang was found guilty of the firebombing, but that conviction was vacated in 2020, authorities said. 

Mr. Early said, “It is my hope that today’s sentencing brings a measure of closure to Mr. Hibbard’s family and loved ones after these 12 years.”

Fitchburg Police Chief Steven D. Giannini praised the prosecutor and jury for securing the conviction. 

“This verdict brings long-awaited closure to the friends and family of Shawn Hibbard," he said. "The Fitchburg Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police, and District Attorney Joe Early’s office have shown that no matter how much time passes, we will maintain our commitments to seek justice for every victim.”