Man convicted of 1994 murder in Dorchester granted parole

BOSTON — A 49-year-old man who shot and killed a teenager in 1994 in Dorchester when he was 18 after an attempted robbery has been granted parole.

The Massachusetts Parole Board granted the parole of Kevin Denis, who was ultimately convicted of the first-degree murder of Diron Spence in 1996, and has served 30 years behind bars.

He was also convicted of carrying a firearm without a license and received a sentence of 4 1/2 to 5 years, as well as 2 counts of armed assault to kill with a sentence of 15 to 20 for each count.

In 1994, Denis, who was 18 at the time, shot and killed 17-year-old Diron Spence in Dorchester on the evening of August 19.

On that night, Spence was standing on the corner of McLellan and Bradshaw Streets in Dorchester talking to his friend. Two young women, also friends of Mr. Spence were walking down Bradshaw Street and paused briefly to speak with him before continuing on their way.

Moments after the women passed, Denis, who was wearing black pants, a black jacket, and a black ski mask approached Spence and his friend and demanded their money. His friend immediately began emptying his pockets, but Spence just stood there. Denis asked Spence, “think I’m playing?” then pulled out a .357 Magnum revolver and shot Spence from a distance of a few feet.

When the first shot was fired, his friend ran away without turning over any of the contents of his pockets. As four more shots were fired, three hit Spence, resulting in a fatal wound to the chest.

Police would later find Denis in an apartment building and took him into custody.

Following the Supreme Court’s decision in 2024 where the court held the sentencing individuals who were ages 18 to 20 at the time of the offense to life without the possibility of parole is unconstitutional, Denis became eligible for parole.

Denis was then resentenced to life with the possibility of parole, and he then appeared before the board for an initial hearing in June of 2025.

According to the Massachusetts Parole Board, in making the determination for parole, the board takes into consideration an inmate’s institutional behavior, their participation in available work, educational, and treatment programs during the period of incarceration, and whether risk reduction programs could effectively minimize the inmate’s risk of recidivism.

Denis scored a low risk on the LSCMI risk assessment tool, and after an evaluation, it was noted that Denis had undiagnosed and untreated mental health, cannabis use disorder, and development disorders at the time he committed the crime.

The Parole Board also heard arguments in support of Denis’ parole, and against it.

Denis was granted parole to a halfway house on January 12. He will also be monitored for curfew and supervision for drugs and liquor. He must have no contact with the victim’s family and must have mental health counseling for PTSD and Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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