Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin announced today that Leron Porter (DOB: 1/12/81) was found guilty of the May 2011 murder of 17-year-old Tiphany Tallo. The jury returned the guilty verdict approximately 5 hours after the conclusion of a month-long trial presided over by Superior Court Justice Netti C. Vogel in which the State presented 30 witnesses.
Porter was found guilty of one count of second degree murder, discharge of a firearm while committing a crime of violence, death resulting, and possession of a firearm after being previously convicted of a crime of violence. The defendant is also facing a habitual offender filing.
The State presented evidence that early in the evening on May 9, 2011, Porter, along with several of his family members and two female acquaintances, drove to the Tallo residence on Spruce Street in Providence in two vehicles – red and black Impalas – prepared to confront Ashley Tallo, Tiphany's sister, over an argument earlier in the day between Ashley and Leron's sister Denissa.
Witnesses testified that soon after the Porter family arrived, Denissa and Ashley engaged in physical confrontation, when Leron Porter took out a handgun and struck Ashley, knocking her to the ground. At this point, members of the Porter family began to stab Ashley with a knife and beat her with a bat-type object.
According to witness testimony, Tiphany Tallo attempted to come to her sister's aid, when Leron Porter shot her in the chest. The Porter family then retreated to the two vehicles they had arrived in and drove off.
Police responded to the incident, where witnesses described the incident, the perpetrators and the vehicles. Police stopped one of the vehicles involved within minutes and arrested the six passengers, including Leron Porter, who witnesses identified as the shooter. The other vehicle was located later and the police arrested both Renee Porter and her daughter Jaelynn for their role in the assault and murder.
At the time of the murder, Porter was on supervised federal parole after serving seven and one half years for a federal firearms violation. He had been released from federal custody on April 30, 2011, just days before murdering Tiphany Tallo.
Providence Police Detective Casey Moffett led the investigation. Assistant Attorney General Stephen Regine and Special Assistant Attorney General Peter Roklan prosecuted the case on behalf of the State.