Feb. 7, 2018 -- Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr. today announced that Joel Thompson of Yonkers, New York, has been arraigned on three charges related to the killing of a Yonkers teenager. He pleaded not guilty and has been remanded into custody.

The charges are as follows: one count of murder in the second degree in the death of 16-year- old Madysen Denman of Yonkers and two counts of attempted murder in the second degree.

It is alleged that on Wednesday, December 20, 2017, at approximately 9:40 a.m., Yonkers Police Officers were responding to reports of a dispute at the vicinity of Nepperhan Avenue at Ashburton Avenue when they were advised that a vehicle intentionally drove onto the sidewalk, striking a pedestrian and fleeing the scene. Upon arrival, police found Madysen Denman on the ground in a lifeless state. The 16-year-old was later pronounced dead by EMTs. Two others were uninjured.

Police were given a description of the suspect’s vehicle and, a short time later, Thompson, then 22, was apprehended and taken into custody.

If convicted, Thompson faces a maximum of 25 years to life in state prison on the count of murder in the second degree and a maximum of 25 years in prison for each of the two charges of attempted murder in the second degree. Thompson is scheduled to be back in court on February 28, 2018.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Lana Hochheiser, Deputy Bureau Chief of the Homicide Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Matthew McCarty of the Superior Court Trial Division.

 In compliance with the Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 3.6, you are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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