On the evening of August 8, 2020, Curtis Holley, a 36-year-old male, was walking with his wife in their Morrisania neighborhood in the Bronx. The couple was near East 165th Street and Prospect Avenue when a seemingly insignificant act set off a fatal chain of events. Holley casually flicked a cigarette butt, which landed near a group of three men. He immediately apologized, but his apology was not accepted.
The men began to curse and scream at Holley, aggressively following him and his
wife as they tried to walk away. Feeling threatened, Holley turned to confront the men. The situation quickly escalated when one of the men punched him. In the ensuing chaos, another man pulled out a gun and shot Holley in the torso. Wounded, Holley stumbled into the street and collapsed. He was transported to Lincoln Hospital, where he died three hours later.
The New York Police Department investigated the homicide, initially seeking the public's help in identifying the individuals involved. Their efforts led to arrests in September 2020. Investigators apprehended 29-year-old Joes Aviles on September 18 and 19-year-old John Wilson on September 21. Both men were subsequently charged with murder in connection with the death of Curtis Holley.
