Man convicted in 2005 murder

A Brooklyn man has been convicted after a jury trial in the 2005 murder of a fellow resident of a rooming house. The victim’s body was dumped in a South Jamaica alleyway after the killing.
Michael Washington, 41, was convicted of second-degree murder by a jury after a three-week trial before Justice Gregory Lasak. Jurors deliberated for just two hours before reaching a verdict.
According to the trial testimony, in the early morning hours of April 10, 2005 the defendant and his neighbor, Robert Wright, 33, went for a cruise to Queens in the defendant’s 1996 Dodge Intrepid. The two men had a bottle of liquor and something happened in the car that led the defendant to shoot the victim, according to testimony.
The victim was shot twice in the head at close range - and evidence showed that at least one of the bullets was fired inside of the car. Washington dumped the victim’s body in a South Jamaica alleyway on 154th Street near 118th Avenue.
He then ditched his car near 153-27 118th Avenue and, according to testimony, asked his nephew, Paul Washington, to clean up the blood-stained interior.
Paul Washington, 32, of 144 Beach 110th Street in Rockaway Park, pleaded guilty to tampering with physical evidence and testified against his uncle. He is to be sentenced on June 12 and is expected to receive a conditional discharge, meaning that if he stays out of trouble for a year the charge will be dismissed.
Michael Washington faces up to 25 years to life in prison at sentencing on May 7.