Sergio Hyland, an organizer for the Working Families Party, has been charged with murder, relating to a death that occurred in July 2024.

Police arrested 43-year-old Hyland at his home in the 900 block of Woodlawn Street in East Germantown on April 17. 

On July 11, 2024, officers responded to a call in North Philadelphia, where a 30-year-old woman identified as Jasimane Ransom was found in the street near a curb. She had a gunshot wound to the head and was pronounced dead at the scene. 

Homicide detectives investigated the case for months before connecting Hyland to the death. Hyland is also charged with multiple counts of possession of a firearm, despite restrictions from previous convictions.

In response, the Working Families Party issued a statement saying they were, “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 previously served over 20 years in prison for murder before being released on parole. In 2004 he pleaded guilty to killing a 15-year-old in Germantown.

Representatives for the Party did not respond to further questions asking if Hyland was still an organizer for the Party at the time of his arrest and whether they were aware of his previous murder charges. 

Hyland’s LinkedIn profile lists his current job as a “Criminal Justice Organizer,” for the Working Families Party since April 2022. 

In an October LinkedIn post he wrote, “It’s been a while since I started my role at Pennsylvania Working Families Party as a Criminal Justice Organizer, but I wanted to share this update with everyone. My goal as a Criminal Justice Organizer for the PAWFP [Pennsylvania Working Families Party] is to make criminal justice reform a priority in the ‘Progressive Movement.’ The grassroots and the mainstream must work together in order to ensure that we all have the means to thrive.”

On Hyland’s website, uptownserg.com, he described himself as a “Hood Abolitionist,” and advocated for abolishing the “punishment clause” in the 13th amendment, which allows for involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime. 

According to his website, Hyland spent five years in solitary confinement. He described being “politicized” and mentored in prison by former Black Panther and Black Liberation Army member, Russell Maroon Shoatz.

That started his journey into advocacy, beginning to write and speak publicly about prison reform and gun violence prevention. 

In a WHYY article, Hyland described experiencing abuse at Glen Mills Schools in Delaware County, where he attended in the 1990s. The school was closed in 2019 after an investigation by the Philadelphia Inquirer uncovered dangerous conditions that warranted emergency removal of all students. Glen Mills settled a class action lawsuit in 2023.

In July, The Elevation Project, a nonprofit that works with the formerly incarcerated, posted on Facebook saying, “Jasimane Ransom is a 30-year-old murder victim in Philadelphia, but I know her as a mother, a business owner, a daughter, a sister, and a friend. She was a creative spirit who could draw, rap, do hair, and most recently was learning drone photography. Jas worked two jobs to care for her daughters & would help at The Elevation Project whenever she could.”