Taunton Woman Sentenced in Fatal Hit and Run

FALL RIVER — A 20-year-old Taunton woman was sentenced to serve up to four years in state prison, after pleading guilty last week to a fatal hit and run incident which occurred in the City of Taunton last year, District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced.

Cecily Kilsby-Munafo pleaded guilty in Fall River Superior Court last Thursday afternoon to charges of leaving the scene of personal injury-death resulting and intimidation of a witness.

On November 10, 2016, the defendant was the operator of a vehicle travelling on Washington Street in Taunton. While driving, she struck bicyclist, Michael Alfano, 36, on a crosswalk. Co-defendant Ryan O’Day yelled for the defendant to continue driving, and she fled the scene.

Kilsby-Munafo left the victim on the roadway with a severe head injury. The victim’s bicycle became lodged underneath the vehicle and caused the vehicle to be disabled about 1,000 feet from the point of impact. O’Day exited the vehicle and took several minutes to dislodge the bicycle from underneath the vehicle. When removing the bicycle, the victims shoe became dislodged from under the vehicle. O’Day pushed the vehicle around the corner to Kilsby-Munafo’s apartment and hid the bicycle deep in the woods. He also threw the victim’s shoe into the woods.

The victim suffered a severe head injury and later died as a result of the crash. Kilsby-Munafo subsequently called the police station pretending to be the registered owner of the vehicle to mislead the police investigation. Taunton Police and the District Attorney’s State Police CPAC unit investigated this case.

O'Day was sentenced this past August to two-and-a-half years in jail, with one year to serve and 18 months probation.

During Kilsby-Munafo’s plea hearing last week, Assistant District Attorney Matthew Friedel argued that based on all the facts and circumstances of the case, the defendant should serve two-and-a-half to four years in state prison. The defense, however, recommended a more lenient one year state prison term.

After hearing arguments from both sides, Judge Thomas McGuire sentenced the defendant to serve two-and-a-half to four years in state prison.

“I want to thank the investigators in this case for their quick action in investigating and solving this serious, yet tragic, case despite being misled by the defendant,” District Attorney Quinn said. “All the defendant and her accomplice had to do was stop and come to the aid of the victim. The sentence imposed by the court was appropriate.”

--Bristol County District Attorney's Office