February 2, 2000
JAMAICA MAN SENTENCED TO 37½ YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR MURDER AND ATTEMPTED MURDER OF ASPIRING RAPPERS
Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced today the sentencing of a 33 year old Jamaica man on charges of murdering a 23 year old Brooklyn College Honor Student and attempting to murder another young singer by attacking them with a hammer inside a grocery store where he was working in December 1996.
District Attorney Brown said, "The defendant brutally and savagely attacked his young victims without any justification whatever. This sentence will insure that he spends the rest of his life in jail."
District Attorney Brown identified the defendant as Fitzroy Morris, 33, of 164-12 107th Avenue, Jamaica. He was convicted of murder and attempted murder in December after a two week jury trial held before State Supreme Court Justice Timothy L. Flaherty who imposed sentence today. The defendant received the maximum sentence of 37½ years to life in prison from Justice Flaherty.
According to the testimony at trial, on the night of December 28-29th, 1997 the victims, Rushiandra Cooper who was 23 years old at the time of her death and Marsha Davis, 22 at the time, were at the Q Club in Jamaica where they met the defendant. The defendant eventually asked the young women to drop him off at his "place of business". The young women obliged and drove the defendant to Mama's Mini-mart which is located at 109-10 Guy R. Brewer Boulevard. When the trio arrived at the mini-mart the victims entered the store with the defendant to play video games inside the store. After a short time the defendant ushered out other people who were in the store and, according to the testimony of the surviving witness, locked the door behind them and said, "I am going to kill both of you" and subsequently began striking her in the head with a hammer. They were found days later in the store. Ms. Cooper had died from her wounds and Ms. Davis was seriously injured.
Assistant District Attorney Debra Pomodore of the District Attorney's Homicide Trials Bureau, which is under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Daniel A. Saunders and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney Gregory L. Lasak, was the trial prosecutor.
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