Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Shaquan Butler was sentenced to 32 years to life in prison on Monday for killing his 3-year-old son in a shelter at the old Pan American Hotel in Elmhurst in 2022.
Butler, 29, was convicted by a jury last month on murder, assault, and six counts of endangering the welfare of a child for beating Shaquan Butler Jr. to death and the physical abuse of the boy’s younger sibling. The jury of his peers in Queens Supreme Court deliberated for just three hours before reaching a guilty verdict on Aug. 6.
According to the charges and trial testimony, on Nov. 13, 2022, Butler resided in the Boulevard Family Shelter located in the converted Pan Am hotel at 79-00 Queens Blvd. with his son, two additional children and the mother of the kids. At around 7:40 p.m., the children’s mother called 911 to report that Shaquan Jr. was not breathing. Responding to the 911 call, the FDNY and police from the 110th Precinct in Elmhurst arrived at the shelter, and EMTs found the youngster naked on the floor of the apartment, unconscious and unresponsive, covered in cold water with visible bruises covering his body, including three large contusions on his head. The child was rushed to Elmhurst Hospital Center, where he was pronounced dead. Butler claimed his son had choked while eating, and he had attempted to save him.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined the youngster died from blunt force injuries to his torso. He had three lacerations to his liver and substantial internal bleeding. Shaquan Jr. also suffered nearly two dozen fractures to his ribs, including some that appeared to have been sustained anywhere from a few days to a week prior to his murder. There was no evidence that his airway had been obstructed, and his stomach was empty when he was killed. A medical examination of his then 2-year-old brother revealed malnutrition and physical injuries consistent with child abuse.
Queens Supreme Court Justice Ushir Pandit-Durant sentenced the defendant to 32 years to life in prison on Monday.
“Shaquan Butler Jr. received brutal blows that cut his life short instead of the protection and care he deserved. Today’s sentence is justice for Shaquan Jr. and his younger brother, but it is a solemn closure,” Katz said. “If you and your family need assistance, please contact our domestic violence helpline at 718-286-4410. Someone is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
