Man Cleared In Slaying Of Prober

April 15, 1982

Jamaica – One of three defendants has been acquitted in the November, 1980, murder of a 24-year-old investigator for the special state prosecutor’s office who was gunned down during a robbery.

[Defendant], 22, 91-35 217th St., Queens Village, was found innocent Monday of murder charges. [Defendant’s] brother, Richard, 19, and [Co-Defendant], 16, 91-03 216th St., Queens Village, are accused of the same crime but face separate charges.

A State Supreme Court jury acquitted the elder [Defendant] after six hours of deliberations after a four-week trial before Justice Seymour Lakritz. A spokesman for District Attorney John J. Santucci declined to comment on the case but said that Santucci’s office would proceed with the prosecution of the younger [Defendant] and [Co-Defendant].

According to police reports at the time of the shooting incident, three men attacked investigator [Deceased], 24, of 92-68 216th St., Queens Village, at gunpoint Nov. 8, 1980, as he was about to park his car in his garage at 216th Street. They forced him into the car and had driven several blocks when [Deceased] got off one shot from his service revolver, striking no one. One of the men fired twice, striking [Deceased] in the temple and killing him. The [Defendant] brothers and [Co-Defendant] were arrested Jan. 22, 1981.