Rhode Island Man Sentenced to Prison for 2014 Fall River Slaying

Bristol County District Attorney’s Office

Thomas M. Quinn III

District Attorney

Press Release

May 25, 2016

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced today that William Tate, 36, of East Providence, was sentenced to serve at least 19 years in prison for the for the January 2014 shooting murder of 26-year-old David Rodriguez at the Ship’s Cove Apartments in Fall River.

In early April of this year, Mr. Tate was convicted by  a jury after trial of second degree murder, carrying an illegal firearm and carrying a loaded illegal firearm.

Today in Fall River Superior Court, Judge Renee Dupuis sentenced the defendant to 15 year to life in prison for the murder charge, three to five years in prison for the carrying an illegal firearm charge, and one year in the house of corrections for the illegal loaded firearm charge. All sentences will run consecutively, meaning the defendant will not be parole eligible until he serves at least 19 years behind bars.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Katie Rayburn, Deputy Chief of District Attorney Quinn’s Homicide Unit.

Contact:

Gregg Miliote

Director of Communications

508-997-0711

774-292-9576—cell