BOSTON — A hearing was held on Tuesday for the members of the Massachusetts State Police charged in connection with the September 2024 training death of an academy recruit.
Sgt. Jennifer Penton, Trooper Edwin Rodriguez, Casey Lamonte, and Trooper David Montanez have all pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter.
The judge will consider their arguments regarding compliance and motions being filed in the case.
The involuntary manslaughter charges stem from the death of Enrique Delgado-Garcia, who passed away following a boxing exercise at the Massachusetts State Police Academy in New Braintree.
Special prosecutor David Meier first announced indictments against all four of the troopers on Feb. 9.
Prosecutors said the four oversaw the boxing exercise that Delgado-Garcia participated in before he died.
Investigators were told Delgado-Garcia suffered multiple injuries, including broken bones, missing teeth, and a spinal injury. Sources emphasized that there is no indication he was targeted during the training.
Following Delgado-Garcia’s death, the troopers involved in the exercise were suspended without pay.
In the aftermath, Massachusetts State Police announced a series of reforms at the academy, including breaking recruits into smaller training cohorts, bringing in new academy leadership, and conducting an hour‑by‑hour review of the training curriculum.
State police also suspended the full‑contact boxing training program.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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