Jury Convicts Joseph Stokes in 2019 Meriden Murder
Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 21 in New Haven Superior Court.
Last updatedSeptember 14, 2026
A New Haven Superior Court jury convicted Joseph Stokes of murdering Aaron Ormsby in Meriden and three firearm-related charges
Jury Convicts Joseph Stokes in Meriden Murder
A New Haven Superior Court jury found Joseph Stokes guilty of murder and three firearm-related charges in the 2019 killing of Aaron Ormsby in Meriden on June 29, 2026. Stokes is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 21 in New Haven Superior Court, according to the New Haven Judicial District State’s Attorney’s Office.
Stokes, 26, of Waterbury, was convicted of murder, attempted illegal transfer or purchase of a firearm, conspiracy to commit illegal transfer or purchase of a firearm, and carrying a pistol or revolver without a permit.
Ormsby Was Shot on Foster Street in Meriden
Evidence at trial showed that Stokes shot Ormsby, 21, on Foster Street in Meriden on Jan. 17, 2019, the State’s Attorney’s Office said. Ormsby was found unresponsive in a backyard with multiple gunshot wounds and was taken to MidState Medical Center, where he later died from his injuries.
Authorities located Stokes in South Carolina after he fled following the shooting. He was extradited to Connecticut in April 2019 and charged with murder in July 2021.
The Meriden Police Department investigated the case under Detective Sergeant John Wagner, with assistance from Bridgeport and Naugatuck police, the Connecticut State Forensic Laboratory, and the New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office.
Stokes’ Attorney Plans to Appeal Anonymous-Jury Ruling
The Record-Journal, in a report published by the New Haven Register, said the jury was Connecticut’s first anonymous jury. The jury convicted Stokes of the four charges but did not reach a verdict on murder in the commission of a felony, according to court records cited in the report. The defense moved for a mistrial on that count, and the motion was granted, according to the clerk’s office.
Stokes’ attorney, J. Patten Brown, said he intends to appeal the verdict, particularly the anonymous-jury ruling. The Connecticut Supreme Court declined to decide the anonymous-jury question before trial, allowing the issue to be raised in an appeal. Stokes’ first trial, held in February 2024, ended in a mistrial.
Judge Maria del Pilar Gonzalez presided over the trial. Assistant State’s Attorneys Cynthia J. Lill and Danielle M. Hottin prosecuted the case, with assistance from inspectors Michael Mastropetre and Eric Tracy and Office of Victim Services Advocate Christie Ciancola.
Sentencing Is Set for Sept. 21, 2026
Stokes’ sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 21, 2026, at New Haven Superior Court, according to the State’s Attorney’s Office. The office announced the convictions July 1.
