AMSTERDAM, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office reported on Tuesday that 38-year-old Naturalwise Joseph was convicted in a 2021 Amsterdam homicide case. The Albany man was charged back in 2023.
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Following a two-week trial, a county jury found Joseph guilty of shooting 37-year-old Ricardo Lopez in the back of the head on Hibbard Street in Amsterdam on March 12, 2021. Investigators identified Joseph as the shooter after finding that Lopez’s cellphone had been removed from the crime scene. Detectives were able to track the device to Joseph’s location in the city, later learning that the two men had arranged to meet via phone call prior to Lopez’s death.
“Our thoughts remain with Ricardo Lopez’s family and loved ones, who have endured more than five years of grief while waiting for justice,” Montgomery County District Attorney Christina Pearson stated. “While no verdict can undo their loss, we hope today’s outcome provides some measure of accountability and closure.”
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“This was a long time coming,” Pearson continued. “The investigation could not be rushed; every lead was pursued and closed out and once that was achieved, the case was presented to the grand jury in 2023 by the prior administration. The matter had been scheduled for trial multiple times but there were unforeseeable circumstances which caused delays. I am pleased that we were able to finally see this case to a guilty verdict.”
Joseph, who’s currently serving time for the 2021 murder of 39-year-old Lashon Turner in Albany, was convicted of second-degree murder, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, tampering with physical evidence, and petit larceny on June 29 before Judge Tatiana Coffinger. He’s slated to be sentenced on September 29.
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Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Alan Poremba prosecuted the case with assistance from Assistant District Attorney Manpreet Kaur. The criminal investigation was conducted by the Amsterdam Police Department in conjunction with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and New York State Police…