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Man killed in Roslindale was convicted cocaine dealer

Boston Police today identified the man shot to death in the back of a car on Rowe Street as Jerome Lassiter, 26, of Dorchester.

Lassiter, also known as "Butta" and the father of two sons, one just seven months old, was convicted in Roxbury District Court in 2002 on a charge of possession with intent to distribute a class B substance - when he was just 18. In 2005, he pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiracy to distribute cocaine.

According to his Facebook page, Lassiter was working at Prime Honda in West Roxbury at the time of his death. His funeral service will be Friday, Dec. 10, 10 a.m. to noon at Morning Star Baptist Church, 1257 Blue Hill Ave. in Mattapan.

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rip

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You will b missed dearly, You were a great friend and a wonderful Dad, I don't know how someone could get this close to you to do something so horrid. But they will pay even if it's Satan his self giving the punishment, You help us down here solve this case, guide the rest of your friends and family into the light. I know you meant well in almost all of your choices in life.. This was a unmericful crime I know you were not ready to go, but who is... R.I.P.(lol= lots of love) You will be missed but never forgotten.. BPD please con't let this or any of the other senseless murders go unsolved teach these grimrepers pay and go to hell ... Teach them"thou shall not kill"...love ya I know it had to be a fake friend , you wouldn't let anyone just invade your space or b in your presents.....R.I.P Studda Butta ....

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Does that mean he deserved to die?

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As with the triple homicide a couple weeks ago in Jamaica Plain, however, his death did not occur in a vacuum (or in a hospital room) - it has consequences beyond the impact on his immediate family and friends. The details of his recent past give residents of the Rowe Street area a better understanding of what happened on a street where almost nothing ever happens, and it possibly helps explain why police initially said his murder appeared to be drug related.

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He may not have "deserved" to die. But he will not be missed by the vast majority of Bostonians. "Butta" was a drug dealer, presumably aced because of his "night job". In decent folks' books, that makes him a grade A scumbag who will be missed by no one who desires for the drug-related violence and crime in our great city to end. Stop making excuses for scumbags.

Good riddance.

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So every crime deserves a death sentence? Does that mean we get to shank you the next time you sell a Pats ticket above face value or put two in your head the next time you drive while texting? Drug dealers don't go where there's not a market for their product. I don't know Butta and I can't judge his actions if I don't know what motivated them, but he was just a supplier for folks in your neighborhood. Want to end drug-related violence in this city? Tell the "scumbags" on Rowe Street to stop taking deliveries of the product Butta and other dealers deliver so that "decent folks" aren't endangered by some pseudo-suburban snowflake's habit.

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people selling patriots tickets above face value and texting while driving dont ruin entire communities. babies dont get shot in their mothers arms over patriot tickets. texting while driving doesnt turn good kids, from good families into drug addicts.

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Here's the deal: Crime of any kind erodes the fabric of society. Illicit drugs, however, only "ruin entire communities" if those communities have a demand for those drugs. Dealers don't "turn good kids from good families into drug addicts," those "good kids'" own weaknesses and desires do that all by themselves. Babies often get shot in their mothers' arms because mommy and daddy have an incompatible relationship that leads to domestic violence, babies get shot in their mothers' arms because mommy's too strung out on oxy to remember that she didn't pay the bookie, babies get shot in their mothers' arms because someone felt compelled to murder, not deal drugs.

Your premise is as flawed as your education.

As for Butta, my apologies for jumping to conclusions. As other posters have mentioned, not all of the facts are in yet and elements of a person's past aren't necessarily indicative of who they are in the present. I offer condolences for your loss and hope for a swift and thorough resolution to Butta's case.

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did southie suddenly demand heroin ten years ago? did allston? it wasnt there when i was growing up. now lots of my friends have dead younger brothers and sisters. someone must have demanded it and i missed it. i was probably too busy being poorly educated.

"babies get shot in their mothers' arms because mommy's too strung out on oxy to remember that she didn't pay the bookie" i dont even know what this means? does she have a gambling problem too?

"babies get shot in their mothers' arms because someone felt compelled to murder, not deal drugs." really?

http://www.bostoncriminallawyerblog.com/2010/11/ma...

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Just as it demands it and prescription meds today. Allston and the student population demand much more than that. Dealers don't sell where folks don't buy. The drug "pusher" idea has no grounding in reality. In real life, dealers don't seek you out, you seek them out. The guy on the corner doesn't "push" crack or percs on you, you get them from him. If you like it enough and the cops make your supplier "go away," chances are you'll get it somewhere else.

As for the mother quote, go to Dictionary.com and look up "example."

Ooh, I like link games. I'll play, too:

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/wo...

What's your point, or are you just here to be a jackass and cause more hurt? For someone who's "from" here, you sure as hell don't know much about the place.

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Thats easy to say with your name anonymous, but you wouldnt dare speak those words in person

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The point is simple: folks shooting guns in JP pizza shops, shooting 2 year olds in the middle of the night, shooting 14 year old honor students and dying in Roslindale for drug related purposes are human filth. A death on the street is all they are entitled to. Go get a real job and work for a living. Does "Are you Kidding" think drug dealing is justified if there is a market for it on a particular Boston street? So then its okay to ravage the earths resources provided there is demand for energy, right?

I can't believe anyone reading this blog would be so stupid to defend or think somehow it is unfortunate that these drug-dealers who have died while wreaking havoc on Boston's streets in the past 12 months are dead. Those same people would steal your first born child (or sell him or her drugs) to make an easy dollar.

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None of y'all knew my bro so shut the fuck up he ain't deserve this shit how bout tell ur cops to do they fuckin job if he was white they'd b uncovering streets n shit so watch ya fuckin mouth with that good riddance shit cuz when u go I hope ur fam says fuck u n throws u n the dirt I hate u suburb mufuckas I fuckin hate u
We love u Rome tha shit about his ex crime wasn't relevant that's BPd way of not searching 4 the killers

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They didn't release any information at all about his past - although Ed Davis himself did say this was likely drug related. Google makes it very easy to find stuff these days.

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Def agree wit u. Alot of ppl dat hav sumthn negative to say about the situation either didnt know butta or didnt know him well enuff. because that was a good dude they took from us. and regardless of stuff he did in his younger years that caused society to label him, to us (his friends and family) he always has been and always will be butta nd nothn less. But ur rite tho...ppl bad mouthing him on these lil articles on the internet already know they woodnt pop off like that in person to butta (if he were still here) or to one of his family members or friends. AND i kno most certainly not in my face cuz if that ever hapnd their loved ones would be on here commenting on a article about them, u feel me. Butta was ...nah butta is my dude, my brother for life. My real name is JEFF ppls call me twis or J.O. i'm on deck out here for anyone who feels like they wna relay some negativity about B. i'm dat dude holla at me on facebook search Jay-O Dufflebagz n msg me ill give whoever a address so we cood c wuts really good. actions speak louder than words. the internet doesnt make u tough its just another outlet for cowards to get their point across without getn their fn teeth knocked out

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My condolences on the loss of your friend. I can only imagine what that's like.

But offering to punch somebody's teeth out is perhaps not the best way to honor his memory.

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speak ill of the dead, less than a week after they die, in the presence of what appear to be family members or friends. But that's my book, I guess.

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. . . on the internet. It's useless to fight it as an anon poster said to me a while back- and I now pretty much agree. Sick deranged people use the internet to spew out what is in their dark hearts under cover of anonymity. Can you imagine the heartache of the family of this guy coming on the internet and reading some of these comments? Imagine the rage that these comments produce in that community? The guy's grand mom is on this thread and I have to say- bless her good heart- because if that was my kid and I read some of these comments- well- let me just say I would be boiling over.

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...facts not in evidence.

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To the good resident you do not know anything about jerome and for you to speak before you have facts shows your ignorance. Yes that may have been who he was in the past but you have no idea how hhe has changed. I am positive that you have made mistakes in the past that you and your family are not proud of but you could have changed and maybe he did too. Two kids now have to groown up without a father, a mother has to bury her oldest son, and his siblings will never get to see him again. To say that most bostanians will not miss him may be correct but do you think that many more will miss you? No, so please keep your rude comments to yourself. He was a great guy, father, and family member so do not judge him especially when he can no longer defend himself.

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Please ignore the hateful comments by bigoted idiots. I agree that everyone can change, and even if he hadn't yet, who are any of us to say that he might not have made changes soon. The only truth of this tragedy is that there are two more boys without a father. My heart goes out to them and the rest of his family and friends.

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regardless if he was a "drug dealer" of not, nobody has the right to take the life of another. Ur opinion is disgusting. U should take the feelings of his family and close friends in to consideration. They lost a loved one and his children are going to have to grow up without their father.

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A couple of the commentors here seem to have first-hand knowledge of Mr. Lassiter (monique taylor and anon reply). Even "JPSouth", who says he didn't know him, still makes the assumption that he was in fact a drug dealer, and strongly implies a familiarity (and disgust) with the some of the particulars of Boston's criminal community.

Regardless of what you personally thought about the murder victim, I hope all of you have contacted the police so that they can gather any information you may have that would help them identify potential suspects or motives for this crime.

After all, even if we assume the deceased's activites before he was killed were bad - someone else engaged in the same activity and willing to murder and still at large is much worse.

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Thank you for your comments regarding Jerome. He was my baby, we love him. I'm his grandmother, I did not approve of his allegedly life style, but I loved him as any parent loves their child. Thanks to all who wrote positive comments regarding Jerome. No one deserves to end their life in the manner Jerome's life ended under any circumsances. To the loving persons who understands our hearts, thank you and may God continue to bless and keep you. Courage is to be strong and forgive those who've done wrong. God loves all of us. In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. Love everybody ..

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for your loss, Mrs. Lassiter. My sympathies to you and your family.

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Good afternoon Ms. Lassiter,
I just wanted to say how sorry I am for your lost. I have known Jerome for a long time. I am not currently living in Boston but the week of thanksgiving I was able to see him before his untimely death. He was one that I knew I could see when I came home and put a smile on my face. This is so unreal to me right now and I know he will be truly missed. Again I am sorry for your lost and I will keep you and the rest of your family in your prayers.

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NO MOTHER SHOULD HAVE TO BURY HER CHILD! IT HAS TO BE THE WORST PAIN IMAGINABLE. My condolences to the family. May God comfort you all.

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YOU ppl KILL me with your ignorance. Jerome I have known since middle school and he has been nothing but a GREAT man and even BETTER father. Because he is black yall always got to assume the worst and he actually was getting his life together. He wrote back a couple months ago on his FB he was going back to school, he had a great job at a honda dealership and lost it due to the economic issues we are facing BUT that did not stop him because he made sure to make ends meet working at a pizza shop. Yall can never believe that a BLACK man cant do better for himself. And its just so sad. Ppl like yall honestly make it hard for ppl who are trying to NOT be a statistic. Ppl so busy wanting to kill someone who is doing good and actually a great father (how often do you see that from a damn man), why dont they go shoot at a damn child molester or a rapist, why kill someone who is just trying to LIVE. Damn ! This kills my heart ! I am 25 years old and NEVER knew someone this close to me killed by violence. This puts a hole in my heart and I wish I can do something to change how society is but we can only do so much with this backwards economy and this Fd up govt we have. Misery LOVES company and because HE was doing good and actually getting somewhere in life someone wanted to take away his HAPPINESS ! Jerome is truly a GREAT man and the tears dont stop. I am missing him tremendously. He DID NOT deserve this under NO CIRCUMSTANCES. Rest Easy Babe...I love you and I WILL MISS YOU TREMENDOUSLY !

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Has this been reported anywhere?

Could the poor guy have been making a pizza delivery when he was killed? (I think I've heard of something like this happening somewhere recently).

If that's the case, I hope the hateful anons here feel just as low and worthless as they ought to feel.

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This is one of the drawbacks to blogging and 24-hour news culture: Information goes up as it comes in. It's not necessarily all compiled and researched first. That's no offense to Adam, whose research pulled up a great deal of information, but stories that unfold like this don't tend to present a complete picture until the end. P.S. Shame on Ed Davis for issuing a quote featuring the words "probably drug related" without presenting any supporting information. There's probably a detective out there gritting his or her teeth and muttering right now, knowing that Davis' leap just cost him a bit of cooperation from people who share the anons' belief about drug dealers.

The poster who called me out -- and I thank him/her for pointing out my error in judgment -- had an excellent point. Drug dealer or not -- and that's been thrown into significant doubt in this case -- there's an infinitely worse individual out there who'll get away with murder if people don't share information about what happened. Here's hoping nobody will withhold information and play executioner because they made an ill-researched assessment of Jerome's character.

To Jerome's family, who I'm glad to see on this site, I am so sorry for your loss. This is a site for and about Boston, not just certain segments of it or certain municipalities just outside it. You're a part of our community, and when our community loses someone like your grandson or brother, we all lose as a result.

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If someone robs (and kills) someone to get money to buy drugs -- is the crime "drug related?

With all due respect to Adam (which is considerable, by the way), I think he needs to re-examine his policy regarding anon posters, especially when the anons are submitting hateful, fact-free verbal assaults.

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... if we didn't have anon commenters, we also wouldn't have had jerome's friends and family coming here to grieve his loss and comment on his life. i think many of the anon's add a much needed perspective.

hateful posts should be removed, period. but i don't think it comes down to anon vs. registered.

to all of the people mourning for jerome, i am incredibly sorry for your loss. i wish you all peace in the coming days.

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I was his lawyer in Federal court and just found out about his death. My condolences to his family, particularly the children. Whatever mistakes he made, he owned up to and certainly do not bear on this tragedy. Although I met him in a professional sphere, it was clear he was a man full of life, love and humor.

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