A jury on Wednesday acquitted two men of murder charges in the murder trial of a former aide to Gov. Andrew Cuomo while convicting the defendants on lesser charges.
"Today's verdict is beyond injustice. It's egregious what they've done," Aaron McNaughton, the bother of the victim, Carey Gabay, told NY1.
Michah Alleyne was found guilty of manslaughter and criminal possession of weapon, but was acquitted of murder. His co-defendant, Stanley Elianor, was convicted of reckless endangerment, but was acquitted of murder, manslaughter, and weapons charges.
On Monday, the same jury acquitted Keith Luncheon, 24, of all charges. Luncheon was facing multiple charges, including murder and criminal possession of a weapon.
A separate jury on Thursday found 30-year-old Kenny Bazile guilty on manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon charges but acquitted him of murder charges. He faces up to 15 years behind bars, and is scheduled to be scheduled in September.
Prosecutors say Bazile and the three other men were all in rival gangs.
Tyshawn Crawford, 21, had already pleaded guilty and testified against the others.
Gabay was killed three years ago by a stray bullet during the J'Ouvert Festival leading up to the West Indian Day Parade.
Gabay grew up in Bronx public housing. He is survived by his wife, siblings, and parents.
In a statement, Cuomo said in part, "Nothing can bring Carey back to his wife Trenelle, his family and all those who loved him, but I hope this guilty verdict gives them some comfort that justice has been served. Carey will be forever missed."
McNaughton's voice was heard in court as the final verdicts were read: "Where's the justice? You should be ashamed of yourselves! All of you!" McNaughton said.
"I couldn't believe what I was hearing," McNaughton said after the verdict. "I felt that, you know, this is not only a disservice to the community, you made the community more volatile, more subject to people like them."
"The DNA came back to the trigger of the Uzi," McNaughton said about a firearm. "and the jury still didn't find him guilty of it. So what is that saying?"
McNaughton said his brother's future was limitless. "To go from public housing, to public school, to Harvard undergrad, the first black student body president of Harvard Law — it's phenomenal."
Gabay's wife released a statement saying that the verdicts add insult to injury. "The perpetrators could not have been more reckless in their actions," her statement said in part. "These men should receive the full measure of the law for their criminal behavior."
"We come from the same impoverished environment, same community," McNaughton said. "My brother chose the life he has. These defendants could have done the same thing and they did not, and I think that was lost on the jury."