By Courtney Dentch
A South Jamaica carpenter was found guilty last week of beating one man to death with a hammer and paralyzing another in a Halloween attack three years ago, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said.
A jury deliberated for 10 hours before convicting Rudolph Hawthorne, 48, of 150-29 Foch Blvd., on murder and assault charges Friday for killing Kelvin Armstead, 36, and attacking Milton Tennesse, 37, in their South Jamaica home in October 2000, Brown said in a statement.
Hawthorne was found guilty after a 2-1/2-week trial in State Supreme Court in Kew Gardens, and he faces a sentence of more than 25 years in prison, the DA said.
“The defendant has been found guilty after trial of a vicious and brutal crime that took the life of one victim and shattered the life of a second victim who remains paralyzed, brain damaged and psychologically and emotionally scarred,” Brown said.
“The defendant's conduct warrants imposition of the maximum punishment allowed by law and that is the recommendation that we will make at sentencing,” he said.
According to trial testimony, Hawthorne attacked Armstead and Tennesse between 11:30 p.m. and 2 a.m. on Oct. 31, 2000 inside their home at 143-20 Lakewood Ave. in South Jamaica, Brown said. It was unclear how Hawthorne got into the house.
Hawthorne, who worked as a carpenter, used a hammer to strike Armstead more than 10 times in the head, killing him, Brown said. Tennesse was hit twice in the head, leaving him with brain damage, loss of speaking abilities and memory and permanent paralysis on the right side of his body, Brown said.
Hawthorne fled the scene but was later arrested by detectives from the 103rd Precinct in Jamaica, which investigated the case.
A jury of eight women and four men returned the guilty verdict after 10 hours of deliberation, Brown said.
Hawthorne was convicted of murder and assault. He was scheduled to be sentenced June 12 before Justice Jamie Rios, who presided over the trial, Brown said.
Reach reporter Courtney Dentch by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com, or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 138.
