New Haven man gets 45 years in prison for fatally shooting two ‘friends’

A Connecticut man has been sentenced to 45 years in prison for fatally shooting two men in New Haven who he described as his friends, saying the slayings occurred because he was in the wrong state of mind. Cadell Harris, 43, of New Haven was handed down the prison term during a hearing in New Haven Superior Court on Sept. 3 in connection with the killings of 40-year-old Marquis McNeil, Sr. and 27-year-old Jonathan Garcia both of New Haven on April 1, 2023, according to the state Division of Criminal Justice . DCJ officials noted that Harris was on parole at the time of the shootings for a previous criminal possession of a firearm charge and was on the state’s deadly weapon offender registry. During sentencing, Harris addressed the McNeil and Garcia families in the courtroom, DCJ officials said.

Missing media or need the complete publisher report? Open Hartford Courant

Scoop News DeskNew Haven, Connecticut · Published Thursday, September 10, 2026 at 1:54 PM UTCUpdated Friday, September 11, 2026 at 9:27 AM UTC

Scoop News reporting summary

The text below was supplied by the Scoop Newsroom app. Third-party reporting is attributed in the source panel.

Garcia, a passenger in the car, was taken to Yale New Haven Hospital where he was pronounced dead. I want you to know I sincerely, genuinely, wholeheartedly apologize for my actions.” In June, Harris pleaded guilty to two counts of murder and a single count of criminal possession of a firearm, DCJ officials said. He also thanked the New Haven Office of Adult Probation. “On behalf of the New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, I want to express my deep appreciation to the families and friends of Marquis McNeil Sr. and Jonathan Garcia,” Doyle said. “Their unwavering presence at every court date, along with their courage and commitment in seeing this case through, has been truly remarkable.

Breaking news moves fast. Follow @Will466513 on X for breaking news alerts. Follow on X →

Story timeline