Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
NEW YORK (AP) — A New York City man convicted of killing a Muslim cleric and his assistant in broad daylight has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Thirty-seven-year-old Oscar Morel was convicted of murder in the deaths of Imam Maulana Akonjee (mow-LAHN'-ah ah-KOHN'-jee) and Thara Uddin (THEHR'-uh oo-DEEN') and was sentenced on Wednesday. The two men were shot in Queens as they walked home following prayers in August 2016.
Morel was arrested the following day after police connected him to a hit-and-run crash near the shooting scene. He denied any involvement in the killings.
Some members of the city's Muslim community called the attack on the two Bangladeshi immigrants a hate crime, but prosecutors said the killer's motive was unclear.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
