Monday, November 24, 2003

D.A. BROWN: QUEENS WOMAN CHARGED IN CAMBRIA HEIGHTS TRIPLE HOMICIDE

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced today that a Queens woman has been charged with murder in a triple homicide involving the shooting deaths of three family members last June inside a Cambria Heights, Queens residence.

District Attorney Brown said, “According to the charges, the defendant acted together with an unapprehended individual who shot and killed a man, his wife and his sister-in-law during the commission of a burglary and an attempted robbery. The horrific crime scene was discovered by the couple’s 13-year-old son who had come home from school for lunch.”

District Attorney Brown identified the defendant as Sandra Powell, 36, of 69-38 Thursby Avenue in Far Rockaway, Queens. She has been charged with Murder in the Second Degree, Burglary in the First Degree, Attempted Robbery in the First Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second and Third Degree and faces up to life in prison if convicted. The defendant was arraigned yesterday in Queens County Criminal Court before Judge Seth L. Marvin who remanded her without bail and set a return date of December 8, 2003.

The District Attorney said that according to a criminal complaint, the defendant acted in concert with an unapprehended other who intentionally fired a loaded firearm at Larrie Barnes, 39, Carren Chambers, 34, and Tisha Chambers, 21, between 8:30 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. on June 9, 2003 inside their residence at 236-18 120th Avenue in Cambria Heights, causing their deaths.

District Attorney Brown said that the defendant was arrested on Friday, November 21, 2003 after an investigation conducted by New York City Police Department detectives assigned to the 105 Precinct Detective Squad under the supervision of Sergeant Shane Markey and the overall supervision of Lieutenant Michael Miltenberg, Commanding Officer.

Assistant District Attorney Michael D. Hanratty of the District Attorney's Homicide Investigations Bureau is prosecuting the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Peter T. Reese, Bureau Chief, and Richard B. Schaeffer, Senior Trial Attorney and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Gregory L. Lasak.

It should be noted that a criminal complaint is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.