A Father's Day celebration in an Albany, New York neighborhood took a devastating turn, culminating in the shooting death of Terrance Roberts, a 46-year-old male. The incident, which occurred on June 18, 2017, marked the third time in five years that Roberts' family was impacted by homicide. Known to his loved ones as a 'peacemaker,' Roberts was attending an annual Father's Day barbecue in the city's South End when the fatal events unfolded. The gathering was hosted by Roberts and his wife, Stephanie Sanders, as a celebration for the fathers in their community.
The violence was ignited by a seemingly minor dispute over a child's request for a drink, which escalated into a brawl. A physical altercation began between Roberts' wife and another woman, prompting Terrance to step in and shield his spouse. It was at this moment that a man, later identified as Richard Duckett, produced a firearm. Surveillance footage from the area captured Duckett chasing Roberts across a parking lot. After a failed attempt to pistol-whip him, during which he dropped and recovered his gun, Duckett shot Roberts in the side. As Roberts stumbled away, Duckett approached him and fired a final, fatal shot to the head before fleeing the scene.
Following the deadly shooting, law enforcement initiated a manhunt for the perpetrator. Richard Duckett managed to evade capture for several months but was eventually located and arrested by U.S. Marshals in Brockport on September 20, 2017. Two of his family members, his mother and aunt, were also implicated in the aftermath, later pleading guilty to felony charges for hindering his prosecution by aiding in his escape.
Richard Duckett was subsequently sentenced in February 2018 to a term of 20 years to life in prison for the murder of Terrance Roberts. During his sentencing, Duckett offered an apology to the victim's family as well as his own. The tragic event left a lasting scar on the Roberts family, who had previously lost Terrance's 15-year-old stepson to a violent stabbing in 2012 and his brother-in-law to a fatal shooting in 2015. The overwhelming grief and painful memories associated with the area led Roberts' remaining family members to relocate from Albany.
