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23 Year Sentence for Murder of Young, Black Gay Brooklyn Man

Fifteen-years-to-life with at least 23-years behind bars. That's the sentence 19-year Omar Willock was handed down for calling a young black gay Brooklyn man a "faggot" and stabbing him to death.

Willock and 20-year-old Roberto Duncanson encountered each other on the street in Crown Heights, Brooklyn early in the morning of May 12, 2007. Willock claimed Duncanson looked at him suggestively and flirted with him, so he called him a "faggot." Duncanson yelled back at him and continued walking. Willock followed for several blocks, yelled anti-gay and homophobic epithets and fatally stabbed him. Willock was convicted of second degree murder in May 2009.

Gay City News reports the killer lacked remorse at Monday's sentencing: "In asking for 25-to-life, the maximum sentence, Howard Jackson, the prosecutor in the case, noted that Willock had pursued Duncanson. 'The victim in this case walked away,” Jackson said. 'Apparently, that wasn’t good enough for this defendant." With his hands cuffed behind him, Willock stood stoically throughout the proceeding. Asked if he would like to speak, Willock made brief, mostly inaudible comments. He motioned toward Duncanson’s mother and said, 'I feel sorry for the people.' "

Roberto Duncanson, nicknamed "Pancho", was out to coworkers and close friends but not his mother or family. In an interview shortly after he was killed, his mother said he was a loving son with "the heart of a lion."

Willock had been charged with murder as a hate crime which would have meant and automatic life sentence. The hate crime charges were dropped in March 2009 because the prosecution’s main witness, Belinda Toon, who saw the entire altercation and called police, "gave testimony that was less detailed than what she told a grand jury.... [Prosecutors] say Toon has been 'the subject of constant threats, harassment, and taunting about being a snitch,' Jackson said.""

Gay Man's Murder5 Gets at Least 23 Years [GCN]

Some Background ...
Guilty Verdict in Murder of Black Gay Brooklyn Man [R20]
Brooklyn Murder Trial Goes to Jury [R20]
Trial Begins in Brooklyn Gay Hate Crime Murder [R20]

Guilty Verdict in Murder of Young Black Gay Brooklyn Man

Sorry to be late on this one. A Brooklyn jury convicts a teen of second degree murder in the death of a young black gay man he claimed flirted with him.

Nineteen-year-old Omar Willock was charged with fatally stabbing 20-year-old Roberto Duncanson to death on May 12, 2007. Witnesses and the prosecution said the two men passed each other on a Crown Heights street. Willock claimed Duncanson looked at him suggestively and flirted with him, so he followed him for several blocks, yelled anti-gay and homophobic epithets and fatally stabbed him.

Willock had been charged with murder as a hate crime but last week Justice Neil Jon Firetog ruled the prosecution failed to make a strong enough case for the hate crime charge to hold. Despite eyewitnesses and surveillance video, the defense tried to raise reasonable doubt.

The defense argued that Toon had mistaken Omar for his identical twin, Omari, and wanted to introduce testimony from a Manhattan police detective that Omari was wanted in a stabbing while Omar was in jail for the Duncanson killing. Firetog would not allow it, saying that evidence was not relevant.

[Beriah Wall, one of the jurors] said the jury "had some wind of that" and that the defense "muddied" the case for the jurors, but that questions about Willock's identical twin ultimately did not sway them.

"Omari was eliminated because the detective said he was not a suspect in this crime," Wall said. "The twin was obfuscation as far as we were concerned."

Roberto Duncanson, nicknamed "Pancho", was out to coworkers and close friends but not his mother or family. In an interview shortly after he was killed, his mother said he was a loving son with "the heart of a lion."

It took four days for the jury to reach a decision. Omar Willock faces up to 25 years to life behind bars when he is sentenced. Conviction on the enhanced hate crime penalty would have been an automatic life sentence.

Guilty Verdict in 2007 Murder [GCN]

Some Background ...
Brooklyn Murder Trial Goes to Jury [R20]
Trial Begins in Brooklyn Gay Hate Crime Murder [R20]

Brooklyn Murder Trial Goes to Jury, Judge Drops Hate Crime Charge

An update on the trial of the teen accused of stabbing to death Roberto Duncanson, a young black gay Brooklyn man, because he believed Duncanson was gay and flirting with him. The case has gone to the jury and the judge has dropped the hate crime charge.

Nineteen-year-old Omar Willock is charged with fatally stabbing the 20-year-old Duncanson to death on May 12, 2007. Witnesses and the prosecution say the two men passed each other on St. Marks Avenue in Crown Heights. Willock followed him for several blocks, yelled anti-gay and homophobic epithets and fatally stabbed him. Defense attorneys are trying raise reasonable doubt because the defendant has an identical twin brother. Before closing arguments, defense attorneys asked for a mistrial.

[Judge Neil J.] Firetog denied the mistrial application. The judge did dismiss the hate crime charge against Omar—a dismissal the defense sought—that would have increased the minimum prison time he faced if convicted.

"I've decided as a matter of law the hate crime case is not made out," Firetog said with the jury out of the courtroom. "I think it was a contributing factor, but under the law it has to be a substantial factor."

The jury will weigh if Omar is guilty of second-degree murder and also first-degree manslaughter, a charge the prosecution sought.

Willock now faces charges of second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter. The defendant could face a 15 years to life.

Roberto Duncanson, nicknamed "Pancho", was out to coworkers and close friends but not his mother or family. The verdict could be returned as early as today.

Suspect's Attorney Raises Doubt [GCN]

Some Background ...
Trial Begins in Brooklyn Gay Hate Crime Murder [R20]

Trial Begins in Brooklyn Gay Hate Crime Murder

The trial begins for a teenager accused of stabbing to death a young black gay Brooklyn man because he believed he was gay and flirting with him.

Nineteen-year-old Omar Willock is charged with fatally stabbing 20-year-old Roberto Duncanson to death on May 12, 2007. Willock is charged with two counts of second-degree murder, one as a hate crime. Willock faces life in prison if convicted.

Witnesses and the prosecution say the two men passed each other on St. Marks Avenue in Crown Heights. Willock began yelling anti-gay and homophobic epithets at Duncanson, who was gay, because he believed Duncanson was flirting with him. Duncanson's cousin, 24-year-old Jeimar Brown, took the witness stand and described what he saw.

"It was a boy I've never seen before," said Brown. "Him and my cousin had a dispute... Then after that it was sexual orientation slurs, such as faggot."

The man accused Duncanson of looking at him. Duncanson responded by saying, "Batty boy, you look like somebody wants to suck your dick," Brown said. The man then followed them down the street, continuing with the taunts, and then he and Duncanson came to blows.

"When the guy first lashed at [Duncanson], he lashed back," Brown said. It was only after Brown and two girls were able to pull the two men apart that Brown saw a knife in the stranger's hand. "After, I saw the knife," Brown said. "That's when he ran off."

Duncanson died one hour later at Kings County Hospital.

Brown was "unable to identify Duncanson's killer in a police line up and was not asked to identify Willock." However, police say videotape and other circumstantial evidence place Willock near the scene of the crime. Another witness who saw the fatal stabbing has identified Willock, but defense attorneys are trying raise reasonable doubt because the defendant has an identical twin brother.

Roberto Duncanson, who was nicknamed "Pancho", was out to coworkers and close friends but not his mother or family. In an interview shortly after he was killed, his mother said he was a loving son with "the heart of a lion."

Brooklyn Murder Victim's Cousin Describes Attack [GCN]
Crown Heights Hate Crime Trial Gets Underway [BK Eagle]