A Philly organizer for the Working Families Party has been charged with murder
Sergio Hyland was charged earlier this month with killing Jasimane Ransom in 2024. After his April 17 arrest, he left his job as a criminal justice organizer for the Pa. Working Families Party.
A criminal justice organizer for the Pennsylvania Working Families Party has been charged with killing a 30-year-old woman in North Philadelphia last year.
Sergio Hyland, 43, who served more than 20 years in prison for murder before he was released on parole and became a social justice organizer, was arrested earlier this month for his role in the fatal shooting of Jasimane Ransom last summer, police said.
Police say Hyland, who described himself as the “Hood abolitionist” and criminal justice consultant on his website, and offered counseling on harm and violence de-escalation tactics, shot Ransom in the head around 2:30 a.m. on the 1200 block of West Cumberland Street on July 11, 2024.
Detectives had been investigating the crime for months, and recently developed a witness who identified Hyland as the gunman, said Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore. The motive behind the killing wasn’t clear, he said.
When officers arrested Hyland at his East Germantown home on April 17, they recovered three rifles, two handguns, and multiple rounds of ammunition inside, Vanore said.
Hyland’s previous convictions prohibit him from owning guns.
The Working Families Party, in a statement, said it was “shocked and troubled to learn about the arrest of one of its Philadelphia employees and the seriousness of the charges. Our hearts go out to the victim’s family and all those impacted by this terrible crime.”
Hyland is no longer employed by the organization, though a spokesperson declined to say when he was terminated.
Just eight days before his arrest, the Working Families Party issued a joint news release from Hyland and District Attorney Larry Krasner, announcing its endorsement of Krasner in his campaign for a third term as top prosecutor.
“We are proud to endorse him and support his unwavering commitment to transformative criminal justice reform,” Hyland said in the release on behalf of the progressive group. “His initiatives to end mass incarceration, eliminate cash bail for nonviolent offenses, and hold law enforcement accountable for bad actions resonate deeply with our mission to advocate for policies that promote equity and justice for all Pennsylvanians.”
Krasner said at the time that he was “honored to accept their endorsement.”
Anthony Campisi, a spokesperson for Krasner’s campaign, said in a statement Tuesday that Hyland’s previous murder case was handled by an earlier administration.
“Larry has only a passing awareness of Mr. Hyland and saw him at a few events on the campaign trail,” Campisi said. “The District Attorney’s Office worked closely with the Philadelphia Police Department to charge him in this matter and will be vigorously prosecuting him to the fullest extent of the law.”
Ransom, who was described on social media as a loving mother who worked two jobs to care for her daughters, also worked in community organizing, though her relationship with Hyland was not immediately clear. Her family could not be reached Tuesday.
Still, a collection of memorials shared online in the wake of her death offered a glimpse into her life as a friend, a sister, a motivated business owner.
“She was a creative spirit, who could draw, rap, do hair, and most recently was learning drone photography,” one friend wrote.
Hyland had spent more than two decades in prison in connection with two homicides, according to police.
In 2004, he pleaded guilty in the March 2001 killing of 15-year-old Ajene Bright, a Germantown honor student who was shot in the chest while walking home.
Police said Hyland was also charged in connection with the July 2002 death of Bryan Vertreace. Hyland’s role in that case was not immediately clear, but court records show he was convicted of criminal mischief, theft, and receiving stolen property in that case.
He was sentenced to at least 20 years in prison for both cases and was released on parole in February 2022. He joined local organizing efforts shortly after, appearing alongside many progressive members of City Council at news conferences about criminal and social justice issues.
Hyland wrote on his website that during his time in prison, he spent five years in solitary confinement and was mentored and inspired politically by former Black Panther and Black Liberation Army member, Russell Maroon Shoatz, who shot and killed Philadelphia police Sgt. Frank Von Colln in 1970.
Staff writer Max Marin contributed to this article.