MAX
COURIER LIFE, A M BR B G PRIL 19–25, 2019 31
Bed-Stuy man
sentenced in
fatal shooting
BY AIDAN GRAHAM
A Bedford-Stuyvesant
man will spend decades
behind bars for a murderous
crime of passion,
according to the Brooklyn
District Attorney’s
offi ce.
A Brooklyn judge
sentenced 25-year-old
Maurice Hennegan to
32 years to life in prison
for gunning down a
man who was romantically
involved with
Hennegan’s estranged
girlfriend, according to
prosecutors. Hennegan
was convicted by a jury
in March, and sentenced
on April 10 by Supreme
Court Justice Vincent
Del Giudice.
According to trial
testimony, Hennegan
confronted his ex-girlfriend
on the morning
of Sept. 28, 2016, about
a relationship she had
with the victim, 38-yearold
Neil Thompson.
Hennagan then went
to the Bedford-Stuyvesant
laundromat where
Thompson worked, before
fi nding him down
the street, entering a
deli at the corner of Hart
Street and Tompkins
Avenue.
At approximately 7:24
a.m., Hennegan followed
the victim into the deli
and fi red a revolver multiple
times from point
blank range, killing
Thomspson and hitting
a 64-year-old bystander
in the hand, prosecutors
said.
Hennegan can be
seen in surveillance
footage from inside
the deli during the incident,
and he admitted
his guilt in multiple
text messages
to associates following
the shooting, but
managed to evade authorities
for several
months, using elaborate
disguises to mask
his identity. The fugitive
donned glasses
and a fake mustache,
grew out his hair, and
used a walking cane,
SENTENCED: Maurice
Hennegan, 25, was
sentenced to 32 years to life
in prision for murdering a
man who was romantically
involved with Hennegan’s
estranged girlfriend.
District Attorney’s offi ce
according to the District
Attorney’s office.
Hennegan was eventually
arrested, while in
possession of 19 twists
of crack-cocaine, on Feb.
16, 2017, at Varet Street
near Manhattan Avenue
in Williamsburg, according
to prosecutors.
He was convicted of
second-degree murder
and third-degree criminal
possession of a controlled
substance.
Following the sentencing,
District Attorney
Eric Gonzalez
blasted Hennegan’s
recklessness and committed
his offi ce to
cracking down on gun
violence.
“This is just another
example of senseless
gun violence that
cut short the life of a
well-regarded member
of the community and
endangered everyone
in that deli that morning,
including a senior
citizen who was shot in
the hand,” said Gonzales.
“We will not tolerate
gun violence in Brooklyn
and will continue to
pursue justice in these
cases.”