Auburndale Man Gets 35 Years to Life for 2022 Fatal Shooting Near Jamaica Bodega

Damian Howell, 42, was sentenced to 35 years to life after a jury convicted him of murdering Julian Askew outside a Jamaica bodega in August 2022.

Auburndale Man Sentenced 35 Years to Life for Jamaica Bodega Murder

A Queens man was sentenced Wednesday to 35 years to life in prison for fatally shooting a 29-year-old outside a Jamaica bodega in August 2022, qns.com reports.

Damian Howell, 42, of 194th Street in Auburndale, was convicted by a jury of second-degree murder and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree in the killing of Julian Askew. Queens Supreme Court Justice Ushir Pandit-Durant handed down the sentence.

The shooting

According to charges and trial testimony, Howell was inside a bodega at 106-32 Sutphin Blvd., near Tuskegee Airmen Way, at approximately 1:11 a.m. on Aug. 5, 2022, when he approached the girlfriend of Julian Askew and propositioned her for sex. The woman told Askew that Howell had made her feel uncomfortable. Askew then confronted Howell and the two engaged in a verbal argument.

Howell left the bodega but returned roughly 30 minutes later wearing different clothing. He immediately approached Askew again, and the two men walked to the end of the block. At the corner, Howell drew a gun and shot Askew in the torso. Askew's girlfriend, who had been following the two men, witnessed the shooting and called 911.

Officers from the 103rd Precinct found Askew unconscious in a pool of blood. Emergency medical services transported him to Jamaica Hospital Center, where he was initially left paralyzed from the waist down. He died on November 14, 2022, from injuries sustained in the shooting.

Flight and capture

Howell fled the scene immediately after the shooting and, eleven days after Askew died, left the United States and traveled to the United Kingdom. He was apprehended on May 10, 2023, when he returned to JFK Airport.

The jury deliberated for just two hours before delivering its verdict in August.

DA Katz speaks

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz described the crime in blunt terms. "Damian Howell brazenly shot a young man after propositioning the victim's girlfriend for sex," Katz said. "While Julian Askew died three months later from his injuries, the defendant fled the country in a futile effort to evade justice. Howell was apprehended, tried and convicted for this senseless murder. I hope today's sentence helps Askew's family and friends as they continue to mourn his loss."

Source: Google News JM — Crime