Jehlon Rose, a 19-year-old from New Britain, Connecticut, was remembered by his family for his infectious smile and his love for making others laugh. He was a beloved son, brother, and uncle who cherished spending time with his family, especially his nieces and nephews. Known for his passion for basketball and video games, Jehlon had a bright future ahead of him, which was tragically cut short just days after he had happily celebrated the news that he was going to be a father.
In the early morning hours of November 24, 2020, Jehlon was in the Kelley Square area of Worcester, Massachusetts. A fight broke out outside a hookah lounge on Water Street, and during the altercation, Jehlon was stabbed multiple times. He was rushed to UMass Memorial Medical Center, where he fought for his life for three days. On November 27, 2020, Jehlon succumbed to his severe injuries.
The Worcester Police Department launched a homicide investigation.
Relying on surveillance footage from the scene, cell phone videos, and witness accounts, investigators identified a suspect. In June 2021, seven months after the stabbing, police arrested 43-year-old Dana Gaul of Cherry Valley. A grand jury indicted him on a murder charge, and he was held without bail. Gaul maintained his innocence from the beginning, stating he was nowhere near the scene of the crime and did not know Jehlon Rose.
The case took a dramatic turn as new evidence emerged. DNA recovered from Jehlon's body and from underneath his fingernails was tested and did not match Dana Gaul. Furthermore, another man, Jorge Luis Rivera-Baez, came forward and admitted to police that he had been involved in the fight with Rose. In light of this new information, prosecutors filed a motion for Gaul's release in November 2021, after he had spent five months in jail. The murder charge against him was officially dismissed in February 2022.
In the aftermath, Gaul filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city of Worcester and several police officers, alleging malicious prosecution and that he was wrongfully charged based on fabricated evidence and racial bias. His lawsuit claimed that eyewitnesses described the assailant as a thin, light-skinned or white man, a description that did not match Gaul, who is Black. The suit alleged that investigators used grainy surveillance photos to coerce third parties into identifying him. The city ultimately settled the lawsuit with Gaul for $280,000 in June 2024, without admitting any fault.
While another individual was identified and ordered to provide a DNA sample, no new charges have been filed in Jehlon's murder. As of January 2025, the investigation into the death of Jehlon Rose remains open but unsolved. His family continues to wait for justice, grieving the loss of a young man whose life was stolen before he had the chance to meet his child. The Worcester Police Department lists the case on its unresolved homicides page and encourages anyone with information to come forward. Tips can be sent via an anonymous text to 274637 TIPWPD plus the message, through an anonymous web-based message, or by calling the Unresolved Homicide Unit directly at 508-799-8688.
