Oct. 25, 2017 -- Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr. today announced that an Elmsford man has been sentenced to 50 years to life in state prison for the fatal shooting of a passenger sitting in a parked car in Yonkers in 2015, and seriously wounding the man in the driver’s seat.

Dontae Degree (DOB 09/26/1986) of Elmsford NY, was found guilty by a jury in February of:

•           one count of Murder in the Second Degree, a class “A” Felony,

•           one count of Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, a class “B” Felony,

•           one count of Assault in the First Degree, a class “B” Felony and

•           one count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a class “C” Felony.

On Aug. 25, 2015 at approximately 1:35 p.m., several gunshots rang out in front of 127 Morningside Ave. in Yonkers. A Yonkers Police Officer who was nearby raced to the location and discovered two men who had been shot sitting in the front seats of a Hyundai Sonata.

Degree crept up behind the car occupied by his victims and fired multiple shots at them.

Kenneth Hill who was sitting in the front passenger seat was killed. Roylin Fairclough was seriously injured but survived.

Hill was shot in the head, neck and spinal cord. Fairclough was shot in the head, right shoulder and back. He was taken to Jacobi Medical Center where he underwent surgery.

Yonkers Police commenced an investigation, and Degree was arrested on Oct. 19, 2015 and remanded. 

Deputy District Attorney Timothy Ward and Assistant District Attorney James Bavero of the Superior Court Trial Division prosecuted the case.

Dontae Degree

Dontae Degree

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