Judge Okays Evidence in 2007 Brooklyn Gay Killing

By: DUNCAN OSBORNE
Source: Gay City News

The Brooklyn district attorney can use results from a line-up and photo identification in its case against the accused killer of Roberto Duncanson, a 20-year-old gay man stabbed to death in 2007.


"I find that the photo arrays were proper, that the line-up was also proper," Judge Neil J. Firetog said on February 5 in denying a defense motion to suppress that evidence against Omar Willock, an 18-year-old who faces two counts of second-degree murder, one as a hate crime, in the killing.

Allegedly, Duncanson encountered Willock on the street in Brooklyn's Crown Heights section just before 1 a.m. on May 12. Willock, who used anti-gay slurs, accused Duncanson of looking at him. When Duncanson again passed by, a fight ensued and Willock stabbed Duncanson four times in the back, according to a 2007 statement from the district attorney.

Duncanson died roughly one hour later at Kings County Hospital.

The hearing revealed that the prosecution may have overcome what could have been a serious obstacle in the case -- Omar has an identical twin named Omari and there is just a single witness who says Omar was the killer.

On May 14, that witness, a woman, came forward and identified Omar as the killer.

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