Episode 130: The Murder of Jennifer Rivera
15-year-old Jennifer Rivera of South Providence, Rhode Island loved to dance, spend time with her friends, and listen to music by the rapper Juvenile. She had recently transferred from Roger Williams Middle School to an alternative school back in March because she had gotten several suspensions and into several arguments with teachers after she was struggling with the tragic loss of her father a year prior. In the final weeks of her life, Jennifer was also described as being scared. She was the state of Rhode Island’s star witness in a murder trial that was right around the corner. On August 28th of the previous year, 1999, Jennifer had seen her neighbor and friend, 17-year-old Hector Feliciano, get shot in the head.
Jennifer had been cooking dinner in the kitchen when she heard three gunshots. She looked out the window and saw a black male with a fade style haircut jump the fence out of a nearby vacant lot, get into a grey Jeep, and then peel off. After she waited about ten minutes to make sure the coast was clear, she went outside and found Hector, who had been fatally shot twice in the head at close range while working on a car he had just bought. Other witnesses saw the unidentified man lurking around near the lot and gave descriptions to police. A 14-year-old boy saw the man run into the lot just before he heard gunshots, and he chose 19-year-old Charles “Manny” Pona’s photo out of a lineup.
Hector’s brother Carlos later approached Jennifer and asked her what she’d seen. Jennifer told Carlos more information than she had initially told police, so she spoke to them again at the request of Carlos. She too picked Charles Pona’s photo out of a lineup. Charles remained on the run for nearly two months before he was arrested on October 28th, 1999, after a routine motor vehicle stop revealed that he had a warrant out for his arrest. In addition to the witness statements, Charles’ pager had been found at the scene of the shooting in the vacant lot, and his fingerprints were found in a Chevrolet Blazer that matched the description of the car neighbors saw driving to and then from the scene after the shooting. The car was found burned out and had been set on fire just minutes after Charles fled the scene.
Jennifer and the 14-year-old witness both testified at a bail hearing on November 12th, both identifying Charles as the man they saw in or around the vacant lot when the shots were fired. That same evening, the 14-year-old boy’s older sister was walking near their home when a car pulled up alongside her. The passenger rolled down his window, showed her a gun and stated “Where’s your little brother?” This was reported to the police. The 14-year-old boy’s mother sought out protection for her son, but said that it lasted only until his next court appearance a few days later. She stated “He’s safe, only because he ran away from home to protect himself and his family. I haven’t seen him in six months. How do you think that makes me feel? No one’s protecting these children in South Providence.”
In the week leading up to her own murder, Jennifer kept asking her friends to walk her home from school. Even though she was typically independent and fearless, Jennifer told her friends that she was scared and even said that she knew she was going to get shot eventually. Despite multiple escalating death threats and reporting her concerns to police, little was done to ensure Jennifer’s safety. On May 21st, 2000, Jennifer was shot once in the neck and once in the head at close range by a man in a hooded sweatshirt, just several feet outside her home on Congress Street, as she was outside playing jump rope. The trial for Hector’s murder that she was set to testify at was the next day.
Charles’ lawyers denied that he had any involvement in her murder, however, he had been out on $100,000 bail for the past month.
Investigation led police to a man named Dennard Walker, who said that he was instructed by Charles to shoot and kill Jennifer. While in prison for unrelated charges and after he was released on bail, Charles had conspired to have Jennifer killed with Dennard and a third man named Miguel Perez, who had driven the vehicle that Dennard escaped in after shooting Jennifer.
A man named Dennis Fullen testified that he and Charles shared a jail cell at the Adult Correctional Institution for over two months while Charles awaited release on bail after he was indicted for Hector’s murder. Dennis said that while they were incarcerated together, Charles discussed with him the evidence that the state had against him in that case and that Charles said he would have to “dump” Jennifer. Dennis also testified that Charles was angry at Miguel Perez after he learned that on one occasion Miguel shot a bullet into the air to scare Jennifer, but that he didn’t kill her. He said that one of Charles’ main motivators for making bail was so that he could get out and make sure that Jennifer was killed “the correct way.”
On the day of Jennifer’s murder, Charles, Dennard and Miguel drove to Jennifer’s home, saw her playing outside and circled the block. Charles stated to Dennard “Make sure you do it right.” Miguel then told him to meet them at their prearranged location near Jennifer’s home. Miguel testified that he and Charles drove to the second location, heard three gunshots and then Dennard ran to the car.
At the end of the trial, Charles was officially charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder, carrying a firearm without a license, committing a crime of violence while carrying a firearm, and obstruction of justice. In addition to the life sentences for the murders of Hector Feliciano and Jennifer Rivera, he was sentenced to serve two terms of ten years for committing a crime of violence while armed with a firearm and carrying a handgun without a license, both running consecutively to the life sentence, another ten years for conspiracy to be served concurrently, and five years for obstruction of justice, also to be served concurrently.
Since Jennifer’s death, the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office created a witness protection program to offer support and protection for those who offer information to help solve crimes. The Jennifer Rivera Memorial Park, located just several blocks from her old home, was created in her memory.
Image sources:
turnto10.com - “Community honors Providence teen on 19th anniversary of her murder”