Not guilty of murder.
#Acquitted
A woman accused of intentionally driving into a pedestrian and killing him on a Brighton road has been acquitted of murder. The incident, which killed Omar Coker, 34, of Rochester, happened on Highland Avenue near Council Rock Avenue around 2:45 p.m. Feb. 10, and followed a gunpoint robbery at a nearby apartment complex. On Wednesday, after a 10-day trial and two hours of deliberations, a jury found Angelina Griffin, 25, not guilty of second-degree murder in Coker’s death. She was, however, convicted of leaving the scene of a fatal accident. Prosecutors argued that Griffin’s actions were retribution for a robbery at her home. Griffin’s lawyer said his client acted in self-defense when she encountered the armed man who had just robbed her while driving to her brother’s house.
#SmithCase
Four-year-old Derrick Robie didn’t deserve to be beaten and brutalized 28 years ago, Eric Smith told the New York state Board of Parole last month, and said he felt deep remorse for the murder and hoped Derrick’s parents could one day forgive him. A number of revelations were included in a transcript of Smith’s Oct. 6 hearing before board, which led to its decision to release him from prison. Smith, now 41, was 13 in 1993 when he killed Derrick in Savona, Steuben County. Smith was convicted of second-degree murder in 1994. At his hearing, he also revealed he’s engaged to be married and is working toward a degree in crusade evangelism. He was to have been released Nov. 17, but that didn’t happen because he doesn’t have an approved residence.
#HolidayPlans
You’re home for the holidays or soon will be. Welcome back, Rochester natives. Maybe you haven’t visited since 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic and are looking for new or newish places to check out while visiting family and friends. Here are seven options, in no particular order.
See you Friday.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Not guilty of murder.
