Monday, February 28, 2005
D.A. BROWN: MASPETH YOUTH SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS IN PRISON FOR MANSLAUGHTER IN LAST JUNE’S SAMURAI SWORD STABBING DEATH
Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced today that a 18-year-old youth has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for the June 2004 stabbing death with a samurai sword of another youth inside the victim’s Maspeth, Queens home.
District Attorney Brown said, “The defendant caused the death of the victim by stabbing him repeatedly with a samurai sword. The defendant fled and left the victim who bled to death. The defendant has now been sent to prison for his crime and will have the rest of his life to reflect upon the terrible results of his lethal and mindless conduct.”
The District Attorney identified the defendant as Michael Desiderio, 18, of 54-43 66th Street in Maspeth, Queens. The defendant pled guilty on January 14, 2005 to Manslaughter in the First Degree before Acting Queens Supreme Court Justice Dorothy Chin Brandt who imposed today’s sentence of 15 years in prison.
According to the District Attorney, the defendant admitted that on June 13, 2004 between 9:30 and 10 a.m. inside the victim’s temporary residence at 57-39 Maspeth Avenue in Maspeth, he killed the victim, Richard Richardson, 18, by striking him numerous times with a long metal samurai sword and inflicting cuts to the back of the victim’s head, the right side of the face, the right hand and the back of the neck.
District Attorney Brown said the defendant was arrested shortly after the crime occurred by police officers of the New York City Police Department’s 104th Precinct.
The investigation was conducted by Detective Philip Terranova of the NYPD’s 104th Precinct Detective Squad under the supervision of Lieutenant John Perdoch, Squad Commander.
Assistant District Attorney Nathalie Bell of the District Attorney’s Homicide Investigations Bureau prosecuted the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Peter T. Reese, Bureau Chief, and Peter J. McCormack III, Deputy Bureau Chief, and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Charles A. Testagrossa and Deputy Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Daniel A Saunders.