Frank Sedita for Erie County District Attorney
Frank has been a prosecutor for nearly 20 years, having supervised two different bureaus. In the late 1990s, he was chief of the Special Investigations and Prosecution Bureau, which is principally responsible for the prosecution of white collar crimes and cases of public corruption. In late 2000, he was made chief of the Homicide Bureau, which is responsible for the prosecution of the most serious crimes committed in Erie County. Since that time, the District Attorney's Office has successfully prosecuted 220 out of 225 homicide cases, a 97% conviction rate.
Although he has a long record of successful administrative leadership, Frank is, first and foremost, a trial prosecutor, having personally indicted and/or tried approximately 365 felony cases, many of which were homicides. In 2006, the New York State District Attorneys' Association named Frank the top trial prosecutor in the state, the first and only prosecutor from Western New York to have earned that award. A few of Frank's more notable cases are as follows.
People v. Dennis Donahue concerned the 1993 strangulation of Joan Giambra. The case went unsolved for over 14 years until Donahue was arrested in September of 2007 by detectives from the Buffalo Police Department Cold Case Squad. Donahue was convicted of Murder in the 2nd Degree after a 3-week trial.
People v. Wesley Kirkland & Stephen Simon concerned the August 2006 attempted robbery & fatal shooting of delicatessen owner Ziad Nasser. Kirkland pleaded guilty (as charged) to Murder in the 2nd Degree before trial & was sentenced to 15 years to life in state prison. Simon was found guilty of Murder in the 2nd Degree after trial & was sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison.
People v. Altemio Sanchez (also known as the Bike Path Rapist) concerned the 1990 strangulation of Linda Yalem, the 1993 strangulation of Majane Mazur & 2006 strangulation of Joan Diver, as well as numerous sexual assaults. On March 1, 2007, Evans P.D. Detective Samuel DeJohn informed Frank that forensic specimens from many of the rape victims were stored at Erie County Medical Center. Frank took the following steps which contributed in the exoneration of Anthony Capozzi: ECMC was immediately requested to search for all slides associated with Sanchez's suspected rape victims; ECMC was also requested to search for all slides associated with the rape victims for which Anthony Capozzi had been convicted; search warrants neccessary to lawfully seize the slides were written; once seized, the Central Police Services Forensic Laboratory was requested to give slides associated with Capozzi testing priority; and, a motion to dismiss the charges against Capozzi was made and granted by the court. Sanchez later pleaded guilty to several counts of Murder in the 2nd Degree as charged (Sanchez couldn't be prosecuted for the rapes because of the statute of limitations). Sanchez was sentenced to 75 years to life in state prison.
People v. Damien Prophet concerned the 1995 fatal beating/strangulation of Kimberly Warren and the 2006 fatal beating/strangulation of Mechelle Hicks. Prophet was a pimp who beat, tortured and killed women in his employ. The defendant was convicted on multiple counts of Murder in the 2nd Degree after a 3-week trial & sentenced to 57 years to life in state prison.
People v. Thomas Montgomery concerned the September 2007 shooting of Brian Barrett. The defendant, a 46 year old ex-Marine pretending to be a teenage Marine fighting in Iraq, a West Virginia woman pretending to be her teenage daughter and the victim were involved in an internet love triangle. With the approval of the victim's family, defendant pleaded guilty to Manslaughter in the 1st Degree & was sentenced to 20 years in state prison.
People v. Craig Lynch concerned the April 2006 asphyxiation death of Sister Karen Klimczak, director of the Bissonette House, a halfway house for parolees. Lynch killed Sister Karen in her room, removed her body from the crime scene and buried her underneath a dilapidated garage. Defendant was convicted of Murder in the 2nd Degree after a trial & was sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison.
People v. Donald Washington concerned the October 2006 strangulation of 77- year old Dolores Carr in her home. Ms. Carr was bound and beaten before her death. Defendant pleaded guilty, as charged, to Murder in the 1st Degree during his trial & received a sentence of 25 years to life in state prison.
People v. Justin Thompson & Dominick Sutton concerned perhaps the most violent single incident of crime in Western New York history. Believing some of the victims were cooperating informants in a Secret Service counterfeiting investigation, Thompson shot Robert Brown, Stacy Guest and Gregory Conwell to death. Sutton, a member of the "Bloods" gang, shot Tonisha Brown to death and attempted to kill her children. Both defendants were convicted on multiple counts of Murder in the 1st Degree & Attempted Murder in the 1st Degree after a 3-week trial that occurred in the midst of the 2006 "October Surprise" storm. Both defendants were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
People v. Stanley Sherry concerned the 2005 fatal beating of the defendant's sister, Valerie Georgeff. Sherry was convicted of Murder in the 2nd Degree after trial & sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison.
People v. Jerry Johnson concerned the 2004 fatal beating of the defendant's mother, Ernestine Brown. Johnson was convicted of Murder in the 2nd Degree after trial & sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison.
People v. Robert Piwowar concerned the 2004 strangulation of the defendant's wife, Michelle Piwowar, whose body was discovered under a hollowed out tree at Tift Farm Nature Preserve. Mr. Piwowar pleaded guilty (as charged) to Manslaughter in the 1st Degree & was sentenced to 24 years in state prison.
People v. Willie Jackson was another multiple victim homicide case. On March 3, 2003, Jackson came to the door of Lois Miller's home and shot her to death. Jackson then walked into a bedroom where Crystal Miller and Brionna Miller, who was the defendant's 3-year old daughter, were sleeping. Brionna was shot to death. Crystal was shot twice in the head but miraculously survived. While awaiting trial, Jackson conspired with an undercover New York State Trooper to kill Crystal Miller before she could testify. Jackson was convicted, as charged, on multiple counts of Murder in the 1st Degree, Attempted Murder in the 1st Degree and Conspiracy in the 2nd Degree after a trial. The defendant was sentenced to 2 terms of life without the possibility of parole plus an additional 32 years in state prison, in what is believed to be the longest prison sentence ever imposed in the history of Erie County.
People v. Roland Murphy concerned the 2003 fatal shooting of Buffalo taxi-cab driver Micheal Prince. Murphy was convicted of Murder in the 2nd Degree after trial & sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison.
People v. Robert L. Smith concerned a crime of extraordinary violence perpetrated against the elderly. On November 24, 2001, Smith forced his way into the home of Eugenia and Henry Kaminski, both 83 years old. Eugenia was beaten and stabbed 19 times. Henry was beaten and stabbed 20 times. The District Attorney filed a Notice to Seek the Death Penalty but it was withdrawn because Smith was determined to be mentally retarded. Smith pleaded guilty to multiple counts of Murder in the 1st Degree, as charged, & was sentenced to a term of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
People v. Frank Murphy concerned the prosecution of a serial killer who murdered 4 people in May of 2001. Occie Redden, a taxi-cab driver and former boyfriend of defendant's sister, was bound, beaten and stabbed to death inside his home. Gail McFarland, defendant's girlfriend, was shot to death inside her home. Michael Eaton, defendant's brother, was shot to death inside his home. William Ransom, defendant's associate, was shot to death inside his car. Murphy was convicted of multiple counts of Murder in the 2nd Degree after trial & was sentenced to 100 years to life in state prison.
People v. William Lauderdale, Antonio Walker, Anthony Giles, Terry Mixon and Kareema Luper concerned the murder of 17-year old James Jerome Mack. On January 21, 2001, the defendants bludgeoned, stabbed, strangled and sodomized the victim, finally drowning him in a bathtub. The defendants then placed the victim's body inside a city of Buffalo garbage tote and transported him to the parking lot of St. Louis R.C. Church in downtown Buffalo, finally setting the garbage tote & victim on fire. Lauderdale was charged with Murder in the 1st Degree while the others were charged with Murder in the 2nd Degree. Lauderdale was convicted, as charged, after a trial. Walker was convicted, as charged, after a trial. Defendant Giles was convicted, as charged (by another prosecutor) after a trial. Mixon and Luper pleaded guilty, as charged. All of the defendants received life sentences, except Lauderdale, who received a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
People v. Marcus Scott concerned the 2000 torture and fatal beating of Tabius Wesley, the infant child of defendant's girlfriend. Scott attempted to cover up his crimes by leaving Tabius in the Buffalo City Court Day Care Center. Defendant was convicted of Murder in the 2nd Degree and other crimes after trial & sentenced to 32 years to life in state prison.
People v. Dr. Anthony Pignataro concerned 2 cases. In the first, defendant was convicted of Criminally Negligent Homicide in connection with a botched surgery performed on Sarah Smith. In the second, defendant was convicted of Attempted Assault in the 1st Degree in connection with the 2000 arsenic poisoning of his wife & sentenced to 19 years in state prison. These prosecutions formed the basis for the New York Times bestseller "Last Dance, Last Chance."
People v. Floyd Graham concerned the 1999 robbery and attempted stabbing of Buffalo Police Officer Robert Small. Defendant was convicted of Robbery in the 1st Degree & Attempted Aggravated Assault upon a Police Officer & sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison.
People v. Rastesfa Decosta concerned the 1999 homicide of Buffalo Police Officer Robert McClelland. Decosta was a fugitive from Maryland who ran across the Kensington Expressway in an effort to elude bounty hunters. Officer McClelland joined the chase & was struck & killed by a motorist. Defendant was convicted, as charged, of Manslaughter in the 2nd Degree & received the maximum sentence of 15 years in state prison.
People v. Diane Wylie concerned the 1998 fatal beating of Judith Scanlon, a nurse at the Buffalo Psychiatric center. Wylie was convicted of Murder in the 2nd Degree after trial & sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison.
People v. Anthony Bester concerned the 1997 homicide of defendant's father, Jesse Bester, who was stabbed over 50 times. The defendant was convicted of Murder in the 2nd Degree after trial & sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison.
People v. Andrew Williams concerned the 1996 fatal stabbing of Timothy Thomas at a block club party. Williams was convicted of Murder in the 2nd degree after trial & sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison.
People v. Jeremy Spaich concerned the 1996 fatal stabbing of the defendant's neighbor, Joseph Tasa. Spaich was convicted of Murder in the 2nd Degree after trial & sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison.
People v. Virgil Owens concerned the 1995 fatal stabbing of Ronald Ohleman near Buffalo State College. Owens, a predicate felon from Florida, was convicted of Murder in the 2nd Degree after trial & sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison.
People v. Merle Steele concerned the 1995 fatal stabbing of the defendant's grandmother and non-fatal stabbing of the defendant's grandfather. Steele was convicted of Murder in the 2nd Degree & other charges after trial & sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison.
People v. Myron Brown concerned the 1994 fatal shooting of Carlos "Cali" Figurora, the reputed leader of the 10th St. Boys gang. Brown was convicted of Manslaughter in the 1st Degree after trial and sentenced to 25 years in state prison.
People v. Joseph Wallace concerned the 1993 fatal stabbing of Lawan Jenkins. After stabbing the victim to death, Wallace wrapped the victim's body in a rug, stuffed it into the trunk of the victim's car, & drove throughout Buffalo, repeatedly listening to the song "I Could Kill a Man." Defendant was convicted of Murder in the 2nd degree after trial & sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison.
People v. Michael Gigante concerned the 1992 fatal stabbing of Mark Howell at a stag party. Defendant was convicted of Manslaughter in the 2nd Degree after trial and sentenced to 15 years in state prison.
