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Brockton Man to Spend Life in Prison for Woman’s Brutal Murder



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Contact:  Beth Stone- (508) 584-8120

BROCKTON – A Brockton man who brutally beat and left a mother of five to die, has
been found guilty at trial, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz announced today.

After a five-day trial, a jury deliberated less than two hours before finding George
Rhodes (DOB: 10/14/66) guilty on one count of First Degree Murder in the death of 54-year-old
Sabrina McLean. Brockton Superior Court Judge Richard Chin sentenced Rhodes to serve life in
prison at MCI-Cedar Junction.

“On September 8, 2014, 54-year-old Sabrina McLean was taken from her five children
and grandchildren for absolutely no reason,” DA Cruz said. “Her children sat through this trial
and heard grueling details of how Mr. Rhodes left their mother to die alone in the dark that night.
We thank the jury for seeing the facts of this case and delivering justice to the McLean family.”

On September 8, 2014 from 10:20 to 10:55 pm, Rhodes and McLean were captured on
surveillance video walking along Main Street in Brockton, with the defendant carrying a white
bag that belonged to McLean. The two walked toward a parking garage alcove located at
Frederick Douglas Avenue and L Street and disappeared from camera view. Approximately 10
minutes later, Rhodes emerged from the garage alone and carrying McLean’s white bag. Shortly
thereafter, the investigation found, a tow truck driver entered the garage to back his truck into its
nightly parking space at the garage, inadvertently backing over an unconscious McLean. The
driver exited the truck and found McLean, lying next to the rear, passenger-side wheel of his
truck, face down in a pool of blood, suffering from serious injuries. The tow truck driver called
911 and another witness at the scene attempted to administer first aid before Brockton Police and
EMS responded. McLean was transported to Brockton Hospital where she was pronounced dead
of her injuries.

Rhodes was apprehended by Brockton Police on September 10, 2014, with blood from
the victim still on his glasses and sneakers. At trial, the jury heard from the Medical Examiner’s
Office that reported that the victim suffered multiple injuries including three distinct lacerations
to her forehead, bruising below her left eye and left side of the face, superficial brain
hemorrhage, fractured ribs, internal bleeding, lacerations to the diaphragm and liver, a pelvic fracture, and abrasions to her right leg and foot. The Medical
Examiner testified that McLean died as a result of multiple blunt force trauma to the head and
torso areas.

Second Assistant District Attorney Christine Kiggen and Assistant District Attorney
Keara Kelley prosecuted the case, which was investigated by State Police Detectives assigned to
the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office and Brockton Police.

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June 28, 2016