Orange County News

For Immediate Release Contact: Christopher Borek
August 29, 2018                            845.291.3276,  845.238.4245c

District Attorney Hoovler Announces State Prison in Murder Case

Newburgh Man Sentenced to 27 2/3 Years to Life in State Prison for Murder 

in connection with Botched Robbery 

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that on Wednesday, August 29, 2018, Omarrio Morrison, 26, of Newburgh, was sentenced by Orange County Court Judge William DeProspo to a total of twenty-seven and two-third years to life in state prison in connection with the June 2017 slaying of a man in Newburgh.  On June 1, 2018, Morrison was found guilty by a County Court jury of: Murder in the Second Degree; Attempted Robbery in the First Degree; two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree; and, two counts of Tampering with Physical Evidence, in connection with the shooting death of a man during the course of an attempted robbery on June 21, 2017, in the City of Newburgh.

During the trial prosecutors argued that Morrison had planned a robbery of the victim while the victim was in his apartment on Chambers Street in the City of Newburgh. Prosecutors also argued that Morrison recruited Dejoire Fox, 21, and Tyrees Canigan 17, to commit the actual robbery and had supplied each with pistols.  Both Fox and Canigan have previously pleaded guilty to Murder in the Second Degree.  Prosecutors argued that Fox entered the victim’s apartment to commit the robbery while being armed with a pistol and shot the victim, who later died of a gunshot wound.  Canigan was the lookout for the robbery. 

Morrison was sentenced to twenty-five years to life for the charge of Murder in the Second Degree; and concurrent sentences of fifteen years in state prison plus 5 years post release supervision for the charge of Attempted Robbery in the First Degree, and for each of two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree.  Morrison was sentenced one and one-third to four years in state prison on each of two counts of Tampering with Physical Evidence, and those sentences were ordered to run consecutively to each other and the sentence he had received on the murder charge.  In total Morrison was sentenced to twenty-seven and two-third years to life.

District Attorney Hoovler thanked the City of Newburgh Police Department for their investigation of the case and the defendants’ apprehension.

“This sentence reflects the reality that killing a person during the commission of a felony is just as reprehensible and can be punished as severely as committing an intentional murder,” said District Attorney Hoovler. “This defendant planned the robbery and then recruited others to carry it out.  His cowardly attempt to insulate himself from criminal liability failed.  All those who are involved in violence and use weapons, must be held accountable for their actions.  I commend the City of Newburgh Police Department for their investigation of this case. My office will continue to work with all our law enforcement partners to reduce the deadly gun violence which has claimed far too many lives.”

District Attorney Hoovler highly commended Senior Assistant District Attorney Leah Canton and Assistant District Attorney Christopher Kelly who prosecuted the cases.