You are reading

Forest Hills Man Convicted of Murder in South Richmond Hill Home Invasion

Photo via iStock

March 24, 2022 By Christian Murray

A Forest Hills man who participated in a botched home invasion in South Richmond Hill in 2016 that led to the fatal stabbing of a man has been convicted of second-degree murder and other crimes.

Kristof Williams, 27, of Grand Central Parkway, was found guilty by a jury for his involvement in the stabbing death of Eddie Ventura, 20, who was killed when four men—including Williams—broke into a South Richmond Hill home in November 2016 as part of a robbery.

According to trial records, at approximately 2 a.m. on Nov. 30, 2016, Williams along with three others entered a home on 110th Street. The defendant believed the group would find Xanax pills, marijuana and cash inside.

Williams and the three other attackers found Ventura in a bedroom playing video games with two others. Ventura fought with one of the men and was stabbed numerous times in the back and thigh.

Ventura died as a result of the stab wounds.

“After nearly two weeks of listening to testimony, a jury found the defendant guilty of murder in the death of a young man who was at a friend’s home playing video games when he was suddenly attacked and killed,” said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz in a statement. “This defendant was a participant in this senseless act of violence. His fate will now be determined when the Court sentences him for his criminal actions.”

Williams is scheduled to be sentenced on May 6 and faces 25 years-to-life in prison.

The three other men who participated in the crime have already been charged and sentenced to prison.

Khalil Moses, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the first degree, was sentenced to 21 years in prison in September 2020. Meanwhile, John Pichardo was sentenced in July 2020 to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to burglary in the first degree.

Jose Pichardo was sentenced to 18 years-to-life in prison in October 2021 after being convicted at trial of murder in the second degree.

email the author: [email protected]
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Advocates pen letter blasting Mayor Adams’ legal motion to suspend right-to-shelter

Homeless advocates penned a letter to a Manhattan Supreme Court judge opposing Mayor Eric Adams’ recent legal motion calling for the suspension of the city’s decades-old right-to-shelter law amid the ongoing migrant influx.

The letter, sent last Thursday and released Tuesday, comes in response to Adams last week filing a court motion to exempt the city from its legal mandate — established by the 1984 Callahan v. Carey consent decree — to provide shelter to single adults and adult couples when it “lacks the resources and capacity” to do so. The mayor and top administration officials say they’re not seeking to abolish the right-to-shelter, but rather “clarity” from the court that would give them more “flexibility” in finding suitable housing for tens of thousands of migrants.

Rockaway’s piping plovers among endangered species commemorated on U.S. Postal Service stamps

A day before the city reopened nearly 70 blocks of public beaches along the Rockaway peninsula for the Memorial Day weekend, the U.S. Postal Service and National Park Service hosted a special event at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Broad Channel to honor the piping plover, an endangered shorebird featured on new stamps.

In attendance were members of the NYC Plover Project, a nonprofit with more than 250 volunteers, who have been on the beaches since March preparing for the summer swim season, who celebrated the newly released stamp sheet commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act.

Bayside High School hosts annual Social Entrepreneur Trade Fair

Bayside High School hosted its annual Social Entrepreneur Trade Fair Friday. Students from the Career and Technical Education Humanities and Nonprofit Management program each pitched their socially responsible products to students, staff and others in attendance.

Each of the 11th grade students in the program have been taking a college credit course from Farmingdale State College called Social Entrepreneur. The students were divided into 17 groups of five and tasked with coming up with innovative ideas to create businesses while also being socially responsible. The Social Entrepreneur Trade Fair grants them with the opportunity to work on pitching their products to potential customers.

Annual Memorial Day ceremony held at Korean War memorial in Kissena Park

On Friday, May 26, the second annual Memorial Day Ceremony in Kissena Park brought live music, local dignitaries, veterans groups, a presentation of the Colors by members of the Francis Lewis High School JROTC, a flower-laying ceremony and more to the Flushing community.

Those in attendance included Councilwoman Sandra Ung, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, state Senator John Liu, veterans groups, local students, Boy Scout Troop 253 and others.

Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade honors fallen heroes

Rain or shine, the Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade, touted as the largest Memorial Day parade in the United States, has been a staple of the quaint Queens neighborhoods since 1927. Thousands lined the parade route under clear blue sky along Northern Boulevard from Jayson Avenue in Great Neck to 245th Street in Douglaston on May 29 to honor the brave men and women who answered their call to service and made the ultimate sacrifice while defending their country.

Many onlookers sporting patriotic attire waved Old Glory and cheered on the parade of military vehicles, veteran and military groups and marching bands led by Grand Marshal Vice Admiral Joanna M Nunan, the first female commander of the United States Merchant Marine Academy. This year’s parade marshals were retired Master Sergeant Lawrence Badia and Vietnam veteran Richard Weinberg.