Man gets life for killing ex-girlfriend outside her Rhode Island salon
Michael Fernandes was sentenced to life plus 40 years for killing Jocelyn DoCouto outside her Central Falls salon. The plea followed threats, a no-contact order and a 2024 shooting.
Michael Fernandes, 36, was sentenced to life in prison on June 26, 2026, after pleading guilty to killing his ex-girlfriend, Jocelyn DoCouto, outside the Central Falls salon she owned. Providence County Superior Court Judge Robert D. Krause also imposed a consecutive 40-year term, bringing a final punishment of life in prison plus 40 years. DoCouto was 33.
The killing happened on Friday, Jan. 19, 2024, outside the salon where DoCouto worked and built her business. An HVAC technician on the roof of the American Wire Residential Lofts in Pawtucket heard gunfire and screaming, then saw a man standing over a woman’s body. The witness photographed a gray SUV with a white license plate near the scene and called police.
Detectives later found Fernandes sleeping in a gray 2023 Chevy Suburban with California license plates and took him into custody. Investigators also recovered text messages from Jan. 1, 2024, in which DoCouto said Fernandes had threatened her life after learning she was dating another man. The U.S. Secret Service later placed Fernandes’ phone in the area at the time of the murder.
Fernandes had been arrested in early January 2024 for trying to break into DoCouto’s home, and a no-contact order was in place when she was killed. Police found at least four bullet casings outside the salon, and DoCouto was likely leaving work when she was shot.
Fernandes pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, felony assault resulting in serious bodily injury, possession of a firearm without a license, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. The plea resolved the criminal case without trial. DoCouto’s family had the chance to speak before sentencing.
Rhode Island’s Domestic Violence Training and Monitoring Unit was created under the Domestic Violence Prevention Act of 1988. The National Network to End Domestic Violence’s Rhode Island summary recorded all 9 of 9 domestic violence programs in the state in the 2024 count, serving 611 victims in 24 hours and turning away 63 requests for help.
This article was produced by Prism’s automated news system from verified source data, official records, and press releases, then run through automated quality and moderation checks before publishing. The system is built and supervised by the people who set the standards it runs under. Read our full AI policy.
Did this article answer your question?
