Press Release

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Roscoe Danielson was arraigned today on an indictment charging him with two counts of murder and concealment of a human corpse in connection with the shooting death of his younger brother and stabbing death of his mother. His brother’s body was found in a black plastic garbage bag wrapped in bedding on an East Elmhurst street. A short distance away, the mother’s body was found inside the family’s home.

District Attorney Katz said: “This defendant is accused of the most gruesome of crimes, taking the life of his own mother and brother and leaving his sibling’s body on the sidewalk. We will hold him fully accountable and seek justice for the victims.”

Danielson, 40, of 104^th Street in East Elmhurst, was arraigned on an 18-count indictment charging him with two counts of murder in the second degree, three counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, two counts of criminal possession of a firearm, six counts of tampering with physical evidence, three counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree, concealment of a human corpse and endangering the welfare of a child. Justice Kenneth Holder ordered Danielson to return to court on September 13. If convicted, Danielson faces up to 50 years to life in prison.

According to the charges, on July 5 between about 8:15 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., Danielson was observed on video surveillance pushing a grocery cart that held what looked to be a bleach container on 104^th Street. He was then seen dragging a large item wrapped in a comforter and bed sheets down the sidewalk, leaving it in front of 32-41 104^th Street, before returning to his home on the same block.

Passersby called 911 later that day reporting a strong odor and what looked like blood leaking from the comforter.

Police found the body of Danielson’s brother, 31-year-old Kyle Danielson, inside of the bedding with a gunshot wound to his torso and lacerations to this throat and body.

At approximately 8:00 p.m. that night, Danielson was observed by police officers pushing a 3-year-old in a stroller with a black bag hanging from the stroller handle. A search warrant was issued for the stroller and bag, and a loaded 9mm handgun and a knife were recovered.

A search warrant was executed for Danielson’s home and, at approximately 2:30 a.m. July 6, police discovered the body of Danielson’s mother, Cheryl Myrick, 58, with stab wounds to her neck.

Assistant District Attorneys Kenneth Zawistowski, of the District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau, is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Assistant District Attorney Nicholas Castellano under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys John W. Kosinski, Bureau Chief, Peter J. McCormack III, Senior Deputy Bureau Chief, and Karen Ross, Deputy Bureau Chief, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Shawn Clark.