Homeless man sentenced for killing, stabbing 3 homeless men in NYC
MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) --- A serial stabber who killed a fellow homeless man and attacked two others in Manhattan two years ago will spend decades behind bars, authorities said.
Trevon Murphy, 42, was sentenced Wednesday to 25 years in prison after admitting to the attacks in July 2022, according to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. In January, the defendant pleaded guilty to murder and attempted murder charges.
Murphy stabbed a 34-year-old man in the abdomen while he was sleeping on a bench in Hudson River Park at around 3 a.m. on July 5, 2022, prosecutors said. The victim was rushed to the hospital but could not be saved.
A few days later, Murphy stabbed a sleeping homeless man, 59, in the stomach near East 49th Street and Madison Avenue. The third victim, a 28-year-old man, was also stabbed in the abdomen while he slept at a basketball court on East 96th Street on July 11, 2022, officials said.
Murphy told cops he targeted the victims' abdomen, which he called “stabber’s choice,” according to court records.
"New Yorkers who face the painful and difficult experience of being unhoused shouldn’t have to simultaneously fear for their safety,” Bragg said. “While today’s sentence will not bring back an innocent life lost and cannot undo the pain two New Yorkers face, I hope it provides a sense of comfort and closure.”
Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the New York City area for more than a decade. She joined PIX11 News in 2022. See more of her work here.