Springfield Gdns. Man Convicted Of Murder
A 26-year-old Springfield Gardens man has been convicted of the July 2010 murders of his former girlfriend, whom he strangled, and her two-year-old son who perished in the fire he purposely set in her Springfield Gardens apartment to cover up his crime.
The former girlfriend was sevenmonths pregnant with his child at the time .
Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown identified the defendant as Jimmy Humphrey, 26, of Selover Road, who was was convicted last Thursday, Jan. 31, of second-degree murder, first and second-degree arson, first-degree reckless endangerment and tampering with physical evidence following a four-week jury trial before Queens Supreme Court Justice Gregory L. Lasak, who set a sentencing date of Mar. 6.
Humphrey, who has been held without bail since his initial arrest in July 2010, faces up to 50 years to life in prison.
“The defendant stands convicted of strangling to death the mother of his unborn child and, without regard for human life, attempting to cover up his crime by intentionally setting fire to her home, thereby taking another innocent life,” Brown said. “Under the circumstances, his conviction warrants the imposition of a lengthy prison term to punish him and protect society.”
According to trial testimony, firefighters responded to an anonymous 911 call and came upon a fire on the second floor of a home on Anderson Road just after 4:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 13, 2010.
Inside, they discovered the burned body of Linda Anderson, 25, and her son, Ayden Hayes, two, laying in the apartment. The toddler was transported to a local Queens hospital where he was pronounced dead.
An investigation by the FDNY determined that the fire was not the result of any accidental or natural causes.
In statements made to police, Humphrey said that he was in the apartment with Anderson and her son just prior to the fire and that he had grabbed Anderson by the throat and shoved her, causing her to fall. He also admitted that he hit Anderson with a bottle of alcohol and used her lighter to set her couch on fire even though he knew that her son Ayden was inside the apartment.
Humphrey additionally admitted that he was aware that Anderson was pregnant and that he did not want to have a family with her.
Humphrey further admitted that he then ran from the apartment, leaving behind Anderson with her body on fire and her son asleep in a bedroom.
Finally, Humphrey admitted that he went home and laid down for a period of time before walking to a phone to call 911 to report the fire.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled that Anderson died as a result of neck compression and that she was pregnant. The Medical Examiner’s office also ruled that Ayden Hayes died as a result of smoke inhalation and other injuries.
Assistant District Attorney Brad A. Leventhal, bureau chief of the District Attorney’s Homicide Trials Bureau, is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Assistant District Attorney Kristin J. Papadopolous of the District Attorney’s Homicide Investigations Bureau under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Peter T. Reese, bureau chief, Peter J. McCormack III, deputy bureau chief and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Charles A. Testagrossa and Deputy Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Daniel A. Saunders.
