In the quiet basement apartment at 168 Chambers Street in Newburgh, New York, a tragedy unfolded that cut short the life of 63-year-old Raul Diaz-Martinez. On June 21, 2017, police responded to a report of a shooting and found Diaz-Martinez, a Hispanic male, deceased from a single gunshot wound to his head. What initially appeared to be a senseless act of violence was soon unraveled by investigators as a robbery that had taken a fatal turn.
The subsequent investigation led to the swift
arrests of three local young men: 21-year-old Dejiore Fox, 25-year-old Omarrio Morrison, and 16-year-old Tyrees Canigan. All three were charged with second-degree murder in connection with Diaz-Martinez's death. As the case proceeded through the legal system, a clearer picture of the events of that tragic day began to emerge. It was revealed that the plan was orchestrated by Morrison, who had masterminded the robbery and supplied the firearms for his younger accomplices to carry out.
During the commission of the crime, with Canigan acting as a lookout, Fox was the one who ultimately fired the fatal shot that ended Raul Diaz-Martinez's life. Despite his attempt to distance himself from the act of murder by not being the triggerman, the prosecution successfully argued that Omarrio Morrison was the principal architect of the crime. The jury found him guilty of murder, as well as criminal possession of a weapon and tampering with evidence. In August of 2018, Morrison was sentenced to a term of more than 27 years to life in prison for his role in the deadly botched robbery.
