Man Sentenced To 20 Years In New Year's Eve Slaying On Long Island: DA

Crime & Safety

Man Sentenced To 20 Years In New Year's Eve Slaying On Long Island: DA DA calls him a "danger." Defense attorney says he showed "an abundance of remorse from the outset of the case through its conclusion."

RIVERSIDE, NY — A Long Island man was sentenced to 20 years in prison followed by five years of post-release supervision for gunning down Kristine Costantino inside her home on New Year's Eve in 2023, Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney said.

Prosecutors say that on Dec. 31, 2023, at around 11:24 a.m., five people, including Detrich Emanuel, 31, were at the Middle Island apartment of Costantino, 40, and the two became engaged in a tense verbal exchange with each other.

Emanuel then pulled out a firearm, pointed it at the victim's chest, and shot her, prosecutors said, adding, that Emanuel called 911 to report the incident but then fled the scene before law enforcement arrived.

When police arrived to render aid, Costantino repeatedly said Emanuel's name, and she was later pronounced dead at Stony Brook University Hospital, according to prosecutors.

On Jan. 14, Emanuel, who had no known last address, was arrested in the Bronx , Patch previously reported.

Before his arrest in this case, in July 2018, Emanuel was convicted in Queens County of second-degree attempted burglary.

Tierney called Emanuel "a danger to the community in the truest sense of the word."

"Already a convicted felon, he sought to settle an argument by pulling out a gun and ending the life of Kristine Costantino," he said. "It is important that the system recognizes the lasting impact violent crime has on our communities. I commend the outstanding work conducted by the Suffolk County Police Department investigators and the prosecution team for bringing this defendant to justice."

In a statement to Patch, his attorney, Matthew Tuohy of Huntington, called Constantino's death "a terrible tragedy."

"My client showed an abundance of remorse from the outset of the case through its conclusion," he said. "He was on a tremendous amount of drugs and has gained 90 pounds since he's been incarcerated."

In August, Emanual pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree manslaughter.