A Brooklyn man was sentenced Thursday in Queens Supreme Court to 17 years to life in prison for the 2019 fatal stabbing of a 38-year-old homeless shelter resident near LaGuardia Airport in East Elmhurst.
Ricardo Henry, 39, of Nostrand Avenue in Flatbush, was convicted after a jury trial in May of murder in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the killing of Abdul Silas in retaliation for a domestic violence assault that one of his friends believed to have taken place at the shelter.
According to the charges and trial testimony, during the evening of Nov. 19, 2019, police from the 115th Precinct in Jackson Heights responded to the Landing Family Shelter in the former Clarion Hotel at 94-00 Ditmars Blvd. to investigate a report of domestic violence involving Silas and his girlfriend, Tamika Sauls. The police interviewed them both, but neither reported any violence. As the officers did not observe any injuries, they left the shelter.
At around 9 p.m. that same night, Henry and Sauls were outside the shelter celebrating her birthday with a group of friends. At one point, Sauls could be heard telling others that Silas needed to be taught a lesson about putting his hands on women. As she said this, Henry said something to the effect of, “I’m your guy; no women, no children.”
At approximately 9:30 p.m., Sauls said she was going to get Silas and then knocked on his door inside the shelter. He came out of the Landin a few minutes later. As soon as Silas stepped outside, he and Henry began to argue. They then walked up 94th Street to fight away from the shelter security camera.
Henry pulled out a knife and stabbed Silas four times, including once in the heart. Sauls yelled at others present at the attack to be quiet because Silas was getting what he deserved.
Cops from the 115th Precinct responded to a 911 call of a man stabbed at the location and arrived to find Silas unconscious and unresponsive. EMS responded to the crime scene and rushed Silas to Elmhurst Hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short while later.
Detectives arrested Henry on Nov. 7. His co-defendant, Tamika Sauls, 49, was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced last month to 10 years in prison.
“The defendant carried out a cold-blooded killing at the behest of a friend, who took it upon herself to act as judge, jury and executioner,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said.
Queens Supreme Court Justice Michael B. Aloise sentenced Henry to 17 years to life in prison.
“With today’s sentence, we have achieved justice for the victim,” Katz said. “And I hope it affords some peace to his loved ones.”
