Man Convicted in Retaliation Killing From 2019
Middletown Murder Retrial Ends With Conviction in 2019 Killing
A Middletown man has been convicted in connection with the 2019 murder of Sebastian Avilan-Medina, bringing the latest chapter of a case that remained unsolved for years to a close.
Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that Sheldon Paul, 42, was convicted of two counts of Murder in the Second Degree for the killing of Avilan-Medina Friday, October 2, following a jury trial in Orange County Court.
Avilan-Medina, 26, was found fatally shot inside his Knapp Street apartment in the City of Middletown on March 11, 2019.
According to prosecutors, two men, ages 18 and 19, entered Avilan-Medina's apartment that morning. Avilan-Medina was the only person inside and was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head.
Prosecutors argued that Paul sent the two men to Avilan-Medina's home in retaliation for what Paul believed was Avilan-Medina's involvement in a burglary at Paul's residence several days earlier.
Evidence presented during the trial reportedly showed that Paul later learned he had been mistaken and that Avilan-Medina was not responsible for the burglary.
Paul's conviction comes after his first trial ended in a mistrial in April 2026 when jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict. The case had remained unsolved for more than five years before Paul and two other men were arrested in 2024. Co-defendant Dijion Constantine previously pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.
During the retrial, jurors heard testimony about an alleged jailhouse admission, a 911 call made after Avilan-Medina was discovered, and statements Paul made during a 2020 Facebook Live video.
Paul was remanded to the Orange County Jail without bail following Friday's verdict.
He faces 25 years to life in prison when he is sentenced on January 21, 2027.
District Attorney Hoovler praised the City of Middletown Police Department for its investigation.
"This defendant attempted to get away with murder by sending two teenagers to the victim's home, the very place where a person should feel the most secure," said District Attorney Hoovler. "I commend the unrelenting work of the City of Middletown Police Department in pursuing this investigation and working with my office to see that justice was done. I hope this verdict brings some measure of closure to the family and loved ones of the victim. We will be seeking the maximum permissible sentence when this defendant is sentenced."
