Idris Elahi Enters Plea In Murder Of Matthew Chew

An 18-year-old man has entered the first plea in the .

Idris Elahi, of 20 Home Street, entered an Alford plea to murder on Wednesday in the . The action changes his former not guilty plea and accepts a state offer to serve 35 years in prison.

Elahi is one of six defendants charged with involvement in the fatal stabbing of 25-year-old Matthew Chew as he was walking from his workplace at to his Huntington Street apartment on the evening of Oct. 29, 2010.

The Alford plea means that Elahi does not agree with the entirety of the state allegations but recognizes that the state would be likely to prevail at trial. His attorney, Bruce McIntyre, said Elahi disagreed with language in the charge saying that he intended to cause death.

Assistant State’s Attorney Steve Carney said Chew’s parents were not notified of Elahi’s agreement to take the offer. They were contacted on Wednesday morning and informed their immediate family. Carney said Chew’s family was not in full agreement with the sentence, but did not wish to have the proceedings delayed so they could appear in person.

“I’m not in the position to say the family endorses the agreement,” said Carney. “In fact, quite the opposite is true.”

The state has also charged 18-year-old Marquis Singleton with murder while Tyree Bundy, 19, has been charged with accessory to murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Also charged in the case are 18-year-old Matias Perry, 18-year-old Rashad Perry (no relation), and 19-year-old Brian Rabell, all of whom are accused of accessory to murder.

At his last year, said the group met at Elahi’s house and decided to assault a random person after they became bored. Rabell and Singleton said Rashad dared Elahi to stab someone and that Elahi and Rashad started to make an oath, but that Rabell and Bundy stopped them.

Rabell said he thought Elahi was hitting Chew in the stomach, and that Bundy later told him that Elahi had stabbed Chew. Bundy said Elahi tried to give him a folding knife after the incident. Singleton said he saw Elahi leave with the knife but did not realize that Chew had been killed until the next morning.

Carney said Chew was stabbed six times and suffered two cuts in the face as well. He was spotted by a passerby near 2 Wives after he collapsed while walking back toward the restaurant. He was taken to and died early the next morning after being flown to Yale-New Haven Hospital.

A murder conviction in Connecticut is punishable by 25 years to life in prison, with life being defined as 60 years. The state offer of 35 years to serve means Elahi would not be eligible to serve a reduced or partial sentence.

Judge Patrick J. Clifford ordered a pre-sentence report and set the date for the official sentencing on May 23.

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