In the quiet evening of May 24, 2021, the life of 15-year-old Destiny Greene was tragically cut short in Albany, New York. A student at Shaker High School, she was in a car on Wilbur Street with several others, having traveled from Colonie for what was supposed to be a routine transaction arranged through Facebook Marketplace. The seemingly innocent meetup took a horrifying turn when it was revealed to be a setup for a robbery. Gunfire erupted, and in the chaos, Destiny was struck by a bullet.
She was rushed to Albany Memorial Hospital, but her injuries proved fatal.
The investigation into the senseless act of violence led to the arrests of two individuals, Branden Rivera and Sincere Cancer. It was determined that the two had orchestrated the robbery. In January 2022, Rivera was apprehended and initially charged with first-degree murder. Later that year, in November, he pleaded guilty to attempted murder. In January 2023, he received a sentence of 25 years in state prison. Throughout his sentencing, Rivera denied being the one who fired the fatal shot.
The second suspect, Sincere Cancer, was arraigned in August 2024 on a nine-count indictment that included a murder charge. In a turn of events, in April 2025, Cancer pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of attempted murder in the second degree. Following his plea, in June 2025, he was also sentenced to a 25-year prison term. As part of his plea, Cancer admitted to being one of the shooters that night. At his hearing, he offered a brief apology to Destiny's grieving family, stating, 'I'm sorry for your loss,' as he was led from the courtroom. The resolutions in both cases, while not bringing back the vibrant young life that was lost, brought a degree of closure to a community shaken by the tragedy.
