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Basheer Vinson, a 30-year-old man from Brooklyn, was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison following his conviction for the second-degree murder of Mark Birthwright, 26, during an attempted robbery in 2020. The sentence was handed down by Justice Timothy P. Mazzei on April 2, 2025, after a jury found Vinson guilty of multiple charges related to the incident, including attempted assault and robbery.
The crime occurred on August 2, 2020, outside a house party in Wyandanch, where Vinson and another individual approached Birthwright and a friend at gunpoint after Birthwright dropped a roll of cash. After a struggle, Vinson shot Birthwright in the chest, killing him, and also injured the friend when he attempted to help. Evidence linked Vinson to the crime, including DNA from a baseball cap left at the scene and cartridge casings.
District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney remarked on the brutal and senseless nature of the crime, expressing hope that the maximum sentence would offer some solace to the victim's family. The prosecution was led by Bureau Chief Timothy Gough and Assistant District Attorney Dena Rizopoulos, with the investigation handled by Suffolk County Police Detectives Jeff Bottari and Scott Aquilino.
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