In the quiet suburb of Coram, New York, a domestic dispute escalated into a shocking act of violence that claimed the life of 17-year-old Devontay Robert, a male who had just graduated from Longwood High School. The tragic events unfolded on the evening of October 1, 2019, outside a home on Judith Drive, where a family argument would ultimately have fatal consequences.
Devontay, who was not involved in the conflict, had sought refuge from the turmoil by sitting alone in the passenger seat of a parked car.
Suffolk County police had been dispatched to the residence around 5:30 p.m. following a 911 call reporting a man with a handgun threatening his family. As the first officers arrived at the scene, they witnessed a harrowing sight. Devontay's older brother, 27-year-old Dimitri Robert, who was the subject of the 911 call, walked over to the vehicle where his younger brother was sitting. In front of both the police and his family, Dimitri shot Devontay, killing him instantly. The officers immediately took Dimitri into custody without further incident.
The motive behind the senseless killing was reportedly rooted in a bitter child custody dispute Dimitri was having with the mothers of his five children. Prosecutors revealed that Dimitri blamed his own mother for his inability to see his children. In a chilling statement revealed during the trial, Dimitri allegedly told his mother, 'If I can't see my kids, you are not going to see your kids.' Devontay became an innocent pawn in his brother's rage against their mother. Friends and family remembered the teenager as a 'really good kid' with a bright future ahead of him.
Dimitri Robert was arrested at the scene and subsequently charged with second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon. Following a trial that lasted just over two weeks, a jury found him guilty of murder. In May 2022, Dimitri was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the murder of his brother, ensuring he would be held accountable for the devastating act of violence that shattered his family.
