Christopher Fuller, 34, faces mandatory life imprisonment without parole for the shooting death of Ernest Appiah, whose body was found in woods in Paxton.
A Worcester man has been convicted of first-degree murder in the shooting death of a 29-year-old man whose body was discovered in a wooded area of Paxton more than four years ago.
A Worcester Superior Court jury found Christopher Fuller, 34, guilty Thursday, Oct. 22, in the killing of Ernest Appiah, also of Worcester, according to an announcement from Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr.
The conviction carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Fuller is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday, Oct. 27, in Worcester Superior Court.
Appiah’s body was discovered March 5, 2022, in woods near Asnebumskit Road in Paxton after a passerby alerted police. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner subsequently ruled his death a homicide.
Investigators determined that Fuller shot Appiah on Feb. 28, 2022, after the two left Centerfolds, an adult entertainment establishment in Worcester, together, according to the district attorney’s office.
The announcement did not provide details about a possible motive or the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
Fuller was initially charged and arraigned in East Brookfield District Court on July 12, 2022. A Worcester County grand jury indicted him Dec. 21, 2022. He has remained in custody since his initial arraignment.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Timothy Westerman and Shayna Woodard, with assistance from victim witness advocate Maria Deyette.
“Assistant District Attorneys Timothy Westerman and Shayna Woodard, and Victim Witness Advocate Maria Deyette did an outstanding job on this case,” Early said in the announcement. “I also want to thank the Paxton Police Department, the Mass. State Police Detectives assigned to the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office, and the jury for their work and careful consideration of the evidence.”
The investigation was conducted by Paxton police and Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office.
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