Bennett
KINGSTON – Poughkeepsie resident Basheem
Bennett, 22, was sentenced Friday in Ulster County Court to 25 years to
life in state prison for the 2014 Easter Sunday murder of Ryan Gray.
Bennett previously pled guilty to murder on November 10, 2014. His sentencing
was delayed due to a promise he made to testify against his accomplice,
Taquan Webb, a promise to which he reneged.
His cooperation would have gotten him a reduced sentence of 15 years to
life in prison, although County Court Judge Donald Williams had only promised
Bennett a sentenced of 18 years to life, and only if he cooperated against
Webb.
At Bennett’s sentencing, Senior Assistant District Attorney Emmanuel
Nneji recommended the maximum sentence citing that Bennett entered a crowded
college bar and fired a number of shots, hitting and killing Gray and
also striking a young woman.
District Attorney Holly Carnright said it is seldom that his office cuts
deals to reduce a sentence in exchange for a defendant’s cooperation.
“Bennett was given a rare opportunity to acknowledge his crime and
to show some semblance of humanity by helping to bring to justice another
person responsible for this killing,” the DA said. “Under
all of the circumstances, the cowardly manner in which this heinous crime
was committed, and then his reneging on his agreement, in our judgment
warranted our recommendation of the maximum sentence.”
