FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, February 29, 2024
Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison
For Shooting Death of His Neighbor
Defendant Entered Victim’s Apartment and Shot Him in His Bedroom
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez today announced that a Brooklyn man has been sentenced to 17 years in prison following his guilty plea to manslaughter for killing his 62-year-old neighbor, in his New York City Housing Authority apartment in Brownsville.
District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This defendant committed a heinous crime by killing his neighbor. He has now accepted responsibility for this senseless shooting and been sentenced to a lenghthy prison term.”
The District Attorney identified the defendant as Gregory Spears, 43, of Brownsville, Brooklyn. He was sentenced today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Donald Leo to 17 years in prison and five years’ post-release supervision. The defendant pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter on January 29, 2024.
The District Attorney said that, according to the investigation, on May 19, 2020, at approximately 2:40 p.m., the defendant knocked on the door of the victim’s apartment in the Langston Hughes Houses at 301 Sutter Avenue in Brownsville. Both the defendant and the victim lived in apartments on the 14th floor.
The victim’s wife opened the door and recognized the defendant, even though he was wearing a Halloween mask. The defendant’s wife happened to be visiting with the victim’s wife inside of the apartment at the time.
The victim’s wife went to the bedroom and told the victim, Angel Medina, 62, that the defendant wanted to speak to him. He then went into the bedroom, took off the mask, shot the victim multiple times, and fled the apartment.
The victim died of multiple gunshot wounds to the torso. The defendant was arrested on May 20,2020, at approximately 7 a.m., when he exited the elevator on the 14th floor and was met by police securing the crime scene.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Joseph Mancino, of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Leila Rosini, Bureau Chief.
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