By Max Bowen-max.bowen@northstarreporter.com
Marine Lance Cpl. Samuel London has been sentenced to 65 months confinement following a sentencing for involuntary manslaughter in the death of Daniel Hollis.
London, a reservist with the 25th Marines based out of Fort Devens, was sentenced following six days of witness testimony in the General Court Martial proceedings.
Hollis—son of Martin School Principal Jennifer Kelly—was leaving a party in Brighton on Sept. 28, 2019, with a group of friends when they were confronted by another group of college-aged boys. A fight ensued, and Hollis fell and struck his head, resulting in a serious injury. Hollis succumbed to his injuries a few days later at the age of 19.
London was initially charged with charged with murder with intent to kill or inflict great bodily harm, voluntary manslaughter, involuntary manslaughter, two counts of assault and battery, and wrongful use of a controlled substance, following his arrest.
In addition to his sentence of 65 months, London was dishonorably discharged.
In a statement issued by the Daniel J. Hollis Foundation, thanks were offered to friends and family who reached out following news of the sentencing. They wrote that death is never easy, and the circumstances around the senseless death of a 19-year-old are even more difficult.
“For 628 days, our family had to live with the knowledge that someone had caused Dan’s death and the individual responsible was not being held accountable for their actions,” the statement read
In February 2020, the family learned that the Suffolk District Attorney’s office had issued a No Bill and did not indict London on the charges. That June, it was announced that the military would be taking over the investigation, as London had been on active duty at the time of Hollis’ death. In the statement, the family thanked NCIS Special Agent Marcus Anders and the work done to continue the investigation.
“Our loss remains – Daniel will not return to us in this life,” the statement read. “The conviction and sentencing of the person responsible for his death is of small consequence to the loss we feel every single day, however, London’s conviction and sentence relieves some of the anger and frustration associated with unanswered questions and lack of accountability for the aggressors.”
In memory of Daniel, the family started the Daniel J. Hollis Foundation. The outpouring of support that the family received was tremendous, and they were told countless stories about his impact on others. The foundation has held a number of fundraisers since it was started, including the Express Yourself Challenge.
“We choose now to focus on Daniel and his light and his positivity,” the statement read. “We will continue the work of this foundation to provide opportunities to young people to support their community, foster healthy competition, and explore the world around them.”
