In response to the Rhode Island Supreme Court decision affirming the murder conviction for Alfred Bishop, Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin issued the following statement.
"I am pleased with the Supreme Court decision affirming the conviction of Alfred "Freddie" Bishop for the 2007 murder of Gabriel Medeiros. Bishop is a violent career criminal who, despite given a chance to live a lawful life, quickly fell back into the habit of violence and murder less than one year after he was granted parole. His actions on June 27, 2007 are that of a man who has no regard for human life and who refuses to take responsibility or show any remorse for his actions. There is no rehabilitation for Freddie Bishop and he deserves to spend the rest of his life behind bars, ensuring he cannot take another life."
Bishop murdered Gabriel Medeiros, and shot Medeiros's brother, Ceasar and his wife, Claire, on August 16, 2006 – less than a year after he had been paroled to home confinement, and after having served 33 years at the ACI and other prisons out of state for the 1973 shotgun murder of James Dunn in Warwick. Pursuant to a pre-trial order, neither the character of Bishop's prior criminal acts nor the time he served for them was admissible. The jury was allowed to hear, however, that he was on parole at the time of the incidents, having previously been convicted of a felony.
A Superior Court jury found Bishop guilty in March, 2009. Superior Court Justice Edwin Gale sentenced Bishop to life in prison without parole on the count of murder, imprisonment on one count of burglary, to be served concurrent with life without parole; life imprisonment on one count of discharging a firearm while committing a crime of violence, death resulting, to be served consecutive to the prior two counts; and 20 years imprisonment for each of two counts of discharging a firearm while committing a crime of violence, injury resulting, to be served consecutive to 20 years imprisonment for each of two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon.
Assistant Attorney General Jane McSoley argued on behalf of the State before the Rhode Island Supreme Court.