Convicted double murderer sentenced to 50 years for Fall River slayings

A judge on Friday sentenced a Fall River man to 50 years to life in prison for the 2021 shooting deaths of two people, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn’s office announced.

Jeremy Holmes, 23, was 18 years old when he shot and killed Jovaughn Mills, 29, and a 14-year-old boy around 4:22 p.m. on May 18, according to Quinn’s office. The shooting happened in the area of Fifth and Branch streets near Griffin Park in the Corky Row neighborhood of the city.

Bystanders directed police to Mills, who was suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. First responders transported him to St. Anne’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The 14-year-old suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen and was pronounced dead at Charlton Memorial Hospital. A third victim, a man who was not named, survived after being shot in the calf. 

Police at the scene recovered .45 caliber and 9 mm ballistic evidence, according to Quinn’s office. Police tracked down Holmes with the help of witness statements and surveillance video, which showed him walking into Griffin Park with a gun and firing multiple rounds toward the victims.     

Holmes was convicted following a jury trial in November 2024 of two counts of first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm. A judge sentenced him to serve two consecutive sentences of 25 years to life for each count of first-degree murder — a sentence that prosecutors had requested. 

Holmes received a concurrent state prison sentence of four to five years for the firearms charge. He is eligible for parole due to a 2024 court decision that ruled defendants who are convicted of first-degree murder and under the age of 21 at the time of the killing must be sentenced with parole eligibility.  

In a statement, Quinn commended the court for handing down the consecutive life sentences for each murder.  

“[Holmes] fired multiple rounds in broad daylight into a park crowded with a number of people including women and children,” Quinn said. “He killed two individuals and wounded a third. Just because you are under the age of 21 does not mean you should not be held fully accountable for premeditated murder and the potential for additional deaths or serious injury for the outrageous and lawless conduct of the defendant.”

Morgan Rousseau is a freelance writer for Boston.com, where she reports on a variety of local and regional news.