A Chelsea resident, Maurice Morrison, 31, was found guilty on Monday, Nov. 14, following several days of jury deliberation. The conviction included two counts of murder in connection with the deaths of Zouaoui Dani-Elkebir, 52, and Karima El-Hakim, 38, who were killed three years prior.
The jury determined Morrison guilty of two counts of second-degree murder and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm stemming from the May 13, 2013, homicides. Approximately six days of deliberations preceded the verdict.
“Two families endured the ultimate loss,” Conley said. “We only hope this verdict offers them some level of comfort that justice was done. Suffolk prosecutors, Chelsea Police detectives, and our State Police Detective Unit never wavered in our effort to hold accountable the man who took their loved ones’ lives.”
Over seven days of trial proceedings, Assistant District Attorney Mark Lee, deputy chief of the DA’s Homicide Unit, presented evidence and testimony establishing that Morrison had harbored a prior personal conflict with El-Hakim, Dani-Elkebir’s girlfriend who regularly rode as a passenger in his cab.
According to the evidence presented, Morrison initiated text communications with Dani-Elkebir during the early morning hours of May 13, 2013, in what prosecutors characterized as a calculated scheme to arrange a pickup that would include El-Hakim. The evidence demonstrated that Morrison succeeded in this plan, and near the intersection of Parker Street and Crescent Avenue, he shot both victims in the head before exiting the vehicle as it came to rest.
Chelsea Police detectives and State Troopers working with the Suffolk DA’s office conducted the investigation, gathering video surveillance, text messages, witness statements, and additional evidence that led to Morrison’s apprehension approximately two weeks after the crimes. Since his arrest, Morrison has remained in custody without bail and will face a mandatory life sentence upon sentencing on Nov. 23.
Jonathan Shapiro served as Morrison’s attorney, while Elise McConnell was assigned as the DA’s victim-witness advocate.