The man was fatally shot; his car was set ablaze in CT. His killer got 42 years in prison.

The fatal gunshot victim was brought to Connecticut and the car he was in was set ablaze.

Now, the man federal authorities say pulled the trigger will spend 42 years in prison, according to federal authorities

Brandon Batiste, 36, also known as “B,” 36, last residing in Chicopee, Massachusetts, was sentenced this week by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to a total 504 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for kidnapping and murdering the Massachusetts man in 2020, according to federal authorities.

Authorities, citing to court documents and statements made in court, said that, in December 2020, Batiste and Calvin Roberson, also known as “Cutty,” kidnapped Francisco Roman, Jr., 28, at gunpoint from his residence in Chicopee, Massachusetts.

Investigators believe his assailants tried to dispose of his body the night of Dec. 26 in a burning car left on Shultas Place in the capital city, officials said at the time.

Hartford police and fire personnel were originally called to the area of 114 Shultas Place just after 8:40 p.m. on Dec. 26 for a reported car fire, Lt. Aaron Boisvert said at the time. While extinguishing the blaze, firefighters discovered a body in the back of the car that medical examiners later identified as Ramon, who had been reported missing Christmas Eve from his home in Massachusetts.

Federal authorities said Batiste and Roberson threatened to harm Roman if he “did not comply with their orders, handcuffed him, and stole cash, marijuana, and other items from Roman.” They  forced Roman into the rear of Roman’s 2010 Acura ZDX, and drove Roman and the stolen property to Connecticut.

“Batiste shot and killed Roman while the car was en route to Hartford. They then drove the car to Shultas Place in Hartford and left it parked on the street,” authorities said in a statement.

Then, “Hartford police and fire personnel responded to Shultas Place and found the car engulfed in flames.”  After the fire was extinguished, investigators discovered Roman’s body with multiple gunshot wounds in the rear of the vehicle, authorities said.

Batiste has been in custody since his arrest in February 2021 and in June 2023 he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnaping, and causing the death of a person through the use of a firearm, authorities said.

Roberson pleaded guilty to the same charges on April 27, 2023, and has not yet been sentenced, authorities said.

The investigation was done by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, FBI’s Springfield Gang Task Force, Massachusetts State Police, Hampden County (Mass.) District Attorney’s Office, Hartford Police Department’s Major Crimes Division, Chicopee Police Department and Springfield Police Department, with the assistance of the Waterbury Police Department and the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office.