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Rockland DA: WEST NYACK MAN SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS IN STATE PRISON FOR FATALLY STABBING MISSING PERSON FROM ORANGE COUNTY

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1 year ago

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ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY – Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh II announced today that Joseph Janulewicz, 65 of West Nyack, New York was sentenced in Rockland County Court before the Honorable Anne B. Bianchi to fifteen years in state prison and five years of post-release supervision based upon his plea of guilty on November 22, 2023 to one count of Manslaughter in the First Degree in connection with the homicide of Brian Romney.

On June 10, 2022, a relative of Brian Romney filed a missing person report with the Village of Greenwood Lake Police Department, when he did not arrive at his relative’s home as expected on June 8, 2022, and had not been in communication with his family and friends since the morning of that date. The New York State Police was requested to assist in the missing person investigation. A vehicle belonging to Brian Romney was located on June 15, 2022 in West Nyack, NY in close proximity to East Street. The investigation by the New York State Police resulted in the execution of a search warrant upon the residence of 35 East Street in West Nyack and the discovery of Brian Romney’s deceased body concealed in a tarp inside a storage room within the residence of Joseph Janulewicz on June 16, 2022. Romney suffered multiple stab wounds to his person, and the Medical Examiner ruled his death a homicide.

Upon pleading guilty, the defendant admitted that he intended to cause Brian Romney serious physical injury when he stabbed him multiple times about his body, including a fatal wound to his back, which caused his death. He admitted that he then wrapped the corpse of Brian Romney in a blue tarp and concealed it within his residence until it was discovered by the New York State Police.

District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh II said, “The defendant in this case is responsible for brutally stabbing the victim multiple times and causing his death. I commend the dedication and exceptional investigation by the New York State Police with assistance from the Village of Greenwood Lake Police Department in this case. The defendant is now off the streets and will be serving a lengthy prison term for his actions.”

The case was investigated by the New York State Police and the Village of Greenwood Lake Police Department. The case was prosecuted by First Assistant District Attorney Doreen Lloyd and Executive Assistant District Attorney Michael Dugandzic.

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Crime

Haverstraw Police Arrest Suspect in Connection with Residential Burglary

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1 day ago

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April 1, 2025

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On March 31, 2025, the Haverstraw Police Department located and arrested Carlos Sepulveda, 43, of West Haverstraw, New York, in connection with a residential burglary that recently occurred. Mr. Sepulveda was identified as the suspect depicted in a circulated image related to the incident.
The arrest stemmed from an investigation into a reported incident where a suspect allegedly entered a residence and stole a package.
Mr. Sepulveda has been charged with the following:
Burglary 2nd Degree (Class C Felony)
Criminal Trespass 3rd Degree (Class B Misdemeanor)
Petit Larceny (Class A Misdemeanor)
Following his arrest, Mr. Sepulveda was arraigned in Clarkstown Justice Court. He was subsequently remanded to the Rockland County Correctional Facility.

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Crime

Rockland County Court Rejects Convicted Murderer’s Eighth Attempt To Vacate Conviction

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7 days ago

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March 27, 2025

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Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh, II, announced today that, in a decision issued on March 25, 2025, Rockland County Court Judge Kevin F. Russo rejected the latest attempt by convicted murderer Amer Zada to have his conviction vacated. The court noted that this motion is the eighth time Zada has sought to reverse or vacate his conviction.
In 1980, Zada was convicted of the murder of seventeen-year-old Shirley Smith in a Village of Nyack parking lot. He was also convicted of Attempted Sodomy in the First Degree and Aggravated Sexual Abuse as a result of his attack on Ms. Smith. At his trial, Zada was represented by William Kunstler, a world-renowned defense attorney who had gained notoriety for successfully defending many high profile and controversial clients.
In its decision, the court described the defendant’s current motion as being largely based on Zada’s claim that certain documents were not turned over to him prior to trial.
“The court found that Zada had failed to adequately establish this speculative claim as he provided no direct evidence that he had never received the documents. I would like to commend Executive Assistant District Attorney James Dolan for his dedication and professionalism representing the Office in this proceeding.” said District Attorney Tom Walsh.
The court also found that, even assuming that the documents had not been turned over, they were of little importance in the case against Zada and none of them were exculpatory within the meaning of the law. In addition, the court found that Zada’s motion to vacate his conviction raised only minor inconsistencies in the case against him, most of which were thoroughly explored by Mr. Kunstler during the trial. In conclusion, the court found that Zada had not offered anything to justify vacating his conviction.

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