Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced on Monday, July 31, 2023, that a Bronx man was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for fatally shooting his wife and stepson in their apartment located in the vicinity of the Claremont / Crotona neighborhoods in 2016.

 

In the context of the announcement, Clark said, “The defendant callously shot and killed his wife and stepson inside the apartment they shared while each were lying in their beds. He then went to the stove and turned all the gas burners, releasing gas into the apartment in the hopes an explosion would cover up his actions. These were cold-blooded murders, and now he has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for killing his family.”

 

Clark said the defendant, Antonio Robinson, 56, last of 1763 Fulton Avenue was sentenced on Monday by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Jeanette Rodriguez-Morick. She said that on Nov. 1, 2022, Robinson was found guilty after a jury trial of one count of first-degree murder for killing more than one person in a single act.

 

According to the investigation, on Oct. 1, 2016 at around 3 p.m., Robinson went to the room of Tyrone Bell, 27, who was watching television and eating snacks. There, he shot Bell twice in the face, killing him. He then went to the other bedroom where Sharon Epps, 50, was resting and shot her in the head, neck and torso, also killing her. Afterwards, Robinson attempted to conceal the homicides by opening the gas jets.

 

According to the prosecution, he then left the home and returned four hours later. Noticing that the gas leak did not cause a fire, he then ran to the neighbors’ apartment and said he found his wife and stepson dead. The fire department arrived for the gas leak, then police came and arrested Robinson.

The case was prosecuted by senior trial assistant district attorney, Antonio Castro, of the Homicide Bureau, and senior trial assistant district attorney, Lisa Ortolano, of Trial Bureau 30, under the supervision of Christine Scaccia, chief of the Homicide Bureau, and under the overall supervision of James Brennan, deputy chief of the Trial Division, and Theresa Gottlieb, chief of the Trial Division.

 

Clark thanked trial preparation assistant, Kimberly Cameron, of the Homicide Bureau, Peter Kennedy, chief of the Technical Investigation Bureau, lab director, Selena Ley, and cell site analyst, Oladimeji Gbolade, both of the Digital Forensic Lab, intelligence analyst, Daniel Walker, of the Crime Strategies Bureau, and video unit supervisor, Joao D’Alessandro, for their assistance in the case.

 

She also thanked NYPD Detective Carlos Lozada of the 42nd Precinct, NYPD Detective Sean O’Leary of Bronx Homicide, and FDNY Lieutenant Daniel Harrington, FDNY Firefighter Kevin McGookin and FDNY Firefighter Michael Bolnik for their work in the investigation.