Two men have been indicted in the murder of a Hollis man, with one of those suspects indicted in a second murder of a man near a Jamaica park, according to the Queens district attorney’s office.
On Feb. 11, District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that 22-year-old Raymond Kenner of Manhattan and 31-year-old Alexander Stephens of St. Albans were indicted by the Queens County grand jury and arraigned in Supreme Court in the stabbing and murder in Hollis on Dec. 21, 2021, in addition to 11 other charges. Kenner was also indicted in a second homicide in which he stabbed a victim near Rufus King Park two days later.
“The defendants are charged with acting in concert in the stabbing death of one of the victims. One of the defendants allegedly knifed another man to death just two days later. The defendants will be held to account for these senseless killings,” District Attorney Katz said.
According to the charges, the 25-year-old victim Andrew Cunjie was seen walking down Jamaica Avenue in Hollis on Tuesday, Dec. 21 just before 9 p.m. Both Kenner and Stephens were allegedly seen on video surveillance following Cunjie from Francis Lewis Boulevard to Carpenter Avenue. The pair then reportedly confronted the man who, moments later, was on the ground bleeding due to multiple stab wounds.
Katz said that Cunjue was rushed to a nearby hospital to be treated for puncture wounds to his back and chest but ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
Two days later on Dec. 23 around 11 p.m., Kenner was allegedly captured on surveillance video on 89th Avenue near Rufus King Park. Katz said that the defendant was seen with 29-year-old Benjamin Vasquez, who was later found with multiple stab wounds. Vasquez also died following the knife attack.
Kenner was apprehended by the police while wearing the same clothes that were seen on the alleged Dec. 21 video footage in Hollis. Katz said that there was also blood allegedly spattered on his clothing. Stephens was also allegedly wearing the same boots from the Dec. 21 video, which were also found with bloodstains on them.
The DA’s office also said that the police had allegedly recovered a folding knife from Kenner’s pocket at the time of the arrest.
The defendants’ 11-count indictment included two counts of murder in the second degree, robbery in the first and second degree, tampering with physical evidence, criminal possession of stolen property in the fifth degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree.
Kenner was additionally charged with murder in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree for the second murder.
Kenner and Stephens are due back in court on April 25, 2022. If convicted, the pair each faces up to 25 years to life in prison and Kenner faces an additional 25 years to life in prison on the second murder charge.
