Man gets 16 years in fatal shooting of Hempstead father

<p><span style="color:black; font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:10.0pt; line-height:105%; mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-bidi-language:AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin">James Marckesano was sentenced to 16 years in prison this morning.  </span></p>

News 12 Staff

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Jun 7, 2017, 3:34 PM

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Updated 2,754 days ago

A Hempstead man who admitted to gunning down a father has been sentenced.

James Marckesano, 26, was sentenced this morning to 16 years in prison.

Marckesano admits he killed 28-year-old father Victor Benitez two years ago on July 4.

Benitez was shot outside the Clinton Deli and Grocery in Hempstead. According to court records, the men exchanged angry words in front of the deli. Marckesano, according to the records, went to a car to get a gun and shot Benitez in the chest and fled.

Marckesano was arrested several months later in Texas and extradited back to Long Island.

Jennifer Benitez, one of the victim's sisters, cursed Marckesano in court Wednesday and shouted "shut up" as the defendant apologized to the family.

"We lost a brother.. and it’s so sad he's not coming back, and he tells me he's sorry. He's still alive, he only gets 16 years. That's not enough,” she said.

Markesano's attorney says with time served and good behavior, his client could be released in 10 years.