Soundview Killer sentenced to 83 Years for Two Murders and Wounding of One Victim’s Brother

By DAVID GREENE

POLICE CORDON OFF a section of courtyard at the Academy Gardens Apartments after Nestor Ventura, 26, was fatally shot on August 18, 2019.
Photo by David Greene

A Bronx man from the Unionport section of the borough was sentenced to 83 years to life in prison for a shooting spree that began with the killing of one person in August 2019 and ended with a second killing, as well as the wounding of the brother of one of the victims in November of the same year.

Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said the defendant, Dane Richardson, 40, of Bruckner Boulevard in Unionport was sentenced by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Margaret Clancy on Thursday, June 22, after a jury had earlier found him guilty of second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, attempted murder in the second-degree, and two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

According to the investigation, on Aug. 18, 2019, at around 3.50 a.m. in front of 539 Commonwealth Avenue [inside the courtyard of the Academy Gardens Apartments] in Soundview, Richardson shot Nestor Ventura, 26, multiple times, leading to this death. Police sources at the time said Ventura had been shot twice in the chest and once in the abdomen and was pronounced deceased a short time later at Jacobi Hospital in Morris Park.

Also according to the investigation, on Nov. 17, 2019, at around 9:10 p.m. near 1725 Randall Avenue also in Soundview, Richardson shot and killed Stephon Brown, 19, and also shot and wounded his brother, Rory Brown, 21, leading to Rory’s hospitalization.

Police busted Richardson on Dec. 4, 2019, inside a Bronx motel on the New England Thruway where, according to the prosecution, he was found to be in possession of crack cocaine.

POLICE VEHICLES ARE seen outside the gated community of Academy Gardens Apartments after Nestor Ventura, 26, was shot and killed in the courtyard on August 18, 2019.
Photo by David Greene

Richardson was sentenced to 25 years to life for the murder of Ventura, 25 years plus five years of post-release supervision for the manslaughter of Stephon Brown, 25 years plus five years post-release supervision for the attempted murder of Rory Brown, to run consecutively.

He was also sentenced to eight years, plus three years post-release supervision on each of two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, which run concurrent to each other for a total of 83 years to life.

Clark said after Richardson’s sentencing, “The defendant will spend a lifetime behind bars for taking the lives of two people and wounding another man in two acts of senseless shootings within three months on Bronx streets.” Clark added, “If you commit gun violence, we will prosecute you.”

A POLICE VEHICLE blocks the entrance to Academy Gardens Apartments after Nestor Ventura, 26, was shot multiple times on August 18, 2019.
Photo by David Greene

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney John Miras, counsel in the Homicide Bureau, 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 homicide advocate, Ana Pimentel, of the Crime Victims Assistance Bureau, NYPD Detectives Thomas Slockbower and Shirley Perez-Romero of the 43rd Precinct, along with NYPD Detectives Dominic Robinson, Sasha Brugal of the Bronx Homicide Squad and Detective Sean Wolfenhaut of the Regional Fugitive Taskforce for their work on the investigation.

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