Alexis Rose, a 37-year-old man from the Bronx, was convicted of second-degree murder for fatally shooting Shaun Hutchinson in a Yonkers apartment two years ago. The jury rejected his claim of self-defense. Rose faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison for the killing, which took place on March 5, 2021. The victim was shot six times in the first-floor hallway above the woman’s basement apartment on Warburton Ave. Hutchinson was the father of Rose’s ex-girlfriend’s young son.
Assistant District Attorney John O’Rourke stated that Hutchinson was a “decent man doing a decent act” by helping the ex-girlfriend move out of her apartment. Meanwhile, Rose had repeatedly tried to get back together with his ex-girlfriend, who rebuffed him. There was even an order of protection against him that prohibited him from contacting her.
During the trial, Rose claimed that it was Hutchinson who had the gun and fired the first shot. He said he used his training as a former police officer and Navy SEAL trainee to wrestle the gun away from Hutchinson. However, Rose alleged that once he had control of the gun, Hutchinson brandished a knife. Rose claims to have then only shot him before fleeing the building.
The police did not recover the gun. Rose claimed that he threw it in a garbage can outside the building. However, the police sergeant testified that they searched the trash can that night, and found no gun inside.
Rose’s lawyer, Jessica Hugel, argued that Yonkers detectives conducted an “abysmal” investigation because their tunnel vision prevented them from considering the possibility that Rose might have been defending himself. However, O’Rourke argued that the killing was fueled by Rose’s jealousy. Supporting this, the prosecution presented evidence of text messages showing that Rose was growing increasingly desperate as his ex-girlfriend refused to take him back.
The Danger Zone
Despite a phone conversation the couple had early on March 5, she did not respond to any of his texts. Evidence showed he drove around her apartment building around 5:30 a.m. that morning. O’Rourke called that the start of the “danger zone” that ended with the shooting around 9pm. The last text he sent his ex-girlfriend was that she had disrespected him “in the worst way.” Rose had suggested that was a reference to her telling his employer and friend about the couple’s troubles. But, the prosecutor said it was because he knew Hutchinson was at the apartment.
The trial lasted for two weeks, and the jurors took less than 90 minutes to find Rose guilty. He was also convicted of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and criminal contempt for violating the order of protection. Westchester County Judge Susan Cacace scheduled his sentencing for June 13. Rose returned to the Westchester County jail to await sentencing.
