In the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, a 15-year-old male named Samuel Joseph, the youngest of five children in a family that had immigrated from Haiti, was known as a friendly and athletic young man with no known enemies. On the evening of February 22, 2019, his life was tragically cut short in a burst of violence that was not intended for him. Earlier that day, Samuel's older brother had been involved in a fistfight with a member of the Hyena Crips gang.
This altercation would have devastating consequences for the innocent teenager.
Seeking retaliation for the earlier fight, 20-year-old Martial H. Amilcar, a high-ranking member of the Hyena Crips also known as 'Drippy,' and a co-conspirator went to Samuel Joseph's apartment building on Flatbush Avenue. They waited outside, and at around 5:45 p.m., they saw Samuel's teenage sister approaching the entrance. As she was about to enter the building, Samuel was coming down an internal staircase. Seizing the opportunity, Amilcar followed the sister into the building, pulled out a gun, and shot Samuel Joseph multiple times at close range in the head, torso, and arm, in front of his sister. The young man was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The New York Police Department quickly launched an investigation. Surveillance footage from the area captured images of Amilcar and another man, leading to their identification as suspects. The public's assistance, following the release of the surveillance footage, was crucial in locating Amilcar. He was arrested in Queens and subsequently charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon. Investigators determined that Samuel was an innocent victim and that the intended target was likely his older brother, who was involved in the earlier dispute.
The case eventually moved to federal court, where Martial H. Amilcar was indicted on charges of murder in-aid-of racketeering, as part of a larger indictment against several members of the Hyena Crips gang for a series of violent crimes. Amilcar was convicted and sentenced to 30 years in prison for the murder of Samuel Joseph and for his involvement in an attempted armed robbery of a pharmacy. The sentencing brought a measure of justice to the family and community, though it could not undo the senseless loss of a young life. Police had also been seeking a second suspect who was with Amilcar at the time of the shooting. Another individual was later charged as a co-defendant in the murder.
