March 12, 1999

CAMBRIA HEIGHTS TEEN SENTENCED TO 261/3-LIFE IN STABBING MURDER OF HOLY CROSS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced today that a Cambria Heights youth convicted in the stabbing murder of a 16 year old high school student as his mother and sister watched in horror, was sentenced today to 26 years to life in prison.

District Attorney Brown identified the defendant as Lavar Chung of 115-08 227th Street, Cambria Heights. He was sentenced today to the maximum term allowable by law by Supreme Court Justice Richard L. Buchter for the murder of Robert Keith Myers also of Cambria Heights.

District Attorney Brown said, "The murder of young Robert Keith Myers was a terrible tragedy. He was a promising young man with a bright future when he was savagely murdered in August of 1997. The defendant has now been sentenced for this terrible crime and will spend the next two and a half decades of his life behind bars."

According to the District Attorney the murder occurred at about 3:35 in the afternoon on August 19, 1997 outside the victim's 227th street home. The victim, a Holy Cross High School student, had been involved in an ongoing dispute with the defendant and an 11 year old friend of the defendant's for over a year. On the day of the murder the victim and the 11 year old had an argument during which the 11 year punched the victim in the face. The victim, who was chased by ten to thirteen boys, ran away.

Later that day, according to the trial testimony, the defendant and the 11 year old went to the Myers house where they began rummaging through Mr. Myers car. The victim's sister saw them through her window and rapped on the pane to get their attention. The two than fled and returned with several of their friends, armed with knives. The mother and sister were outside when the group returned and the victim went outside to protect his mother and sister and to confront the group. A fight ensued, and the defendant plunged a knife into the victim who collapsed mortally wounded in his mother's arms.

The defendant and the 11 year old were arrested the following day. The 11 year old was tried and convicted in Family Court and was sentenced to a term of 18 months restricted placement to be reviewed at the end of each 18 month period until he reaches the age of 18.

Assistant District Attorney Peter D. Walcott of District Attorney Brown's Homicide Trials Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Frederica B. Jeffries of the District Attorney's Special Prosecutions Division prosecuted the case. The Homicide Trials Bureau is under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Daniel A. Saunders and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney Gregory L. Lasak. The Special Prosecutions Division is under the supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney Jesse J. Sligh.

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