Overview

• Jurors found Valle not guilty of murder, manslaughter, two counts of first-degree assault and one count of second-degree assault after nearly three days of deliberations
• Judge Shari Murphy declared a mistrial on unresolved reckless manslaughter and assault counts, leaving open the possibility of retrial on those charges
• Valle, now 20 but 16 at the time of the incident, had rejected a 40-year plea offer in 2023 and testified that he waved the knife to scare off attackers
• Prosecutors argued Valle brought a knife, provoked a fight and stabbed four teens—including Fairfield Prep junior James “Jimmy” McGrath—while the defense maintained he acted in self-defense against a mob attack
• The trial featured testimony from 25 witnesses, including immunity-protected friends Tyler DaSilva and Jack Snyder and three surviving victims who detailed their injuries