In the late afternoon of December 20, 2014, the sound of gunfire pierced the air in Roosevelt, New York. A ShotSpotter activation and a subsequent 911 call brought First Precinct Police Officers to Park Avenue around 4:15 p.m. In a nearby alleyway, they discovered the body of 21-year-old Sayvon Marcus Burt of Freeport. He had sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene by a Nassau County Police Ambulance Medical Technician.
The Homicide Squad immediately began an investigation into the tragic death of the young male.
The investigation into Burt's death unfolded over the following months, leading to the identification and arrest of three individuals. In May 2015, authorities arrested 18-year-old Elliott Fortune of Roosevelt, the son of a former NFL player. He was charged with second-degree murder, first-degree attempted robbery, and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Another suspect, Joel Villalobos, 19, of Freeport, was apprehended in Georgia in April and arraigned in June of the same year.
The final suspect, Corey F. Walker, 19, of Hempstead, was arrested in January 2016. Walker faced charges of second-degree murder, first-degree attempted robbery, and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Court records indicated that Walker and the other co-defendants had attempted to rob Burt with a handgun, an act which tragically escalated and resulted in Burt being shot and killed by one of the co-defendants. Walker also faced a separate grand larceny charge for an unrelated taxi driver robbery. At his arraignment, Walker's attorney entered a not-guilty plea, and he was held without bail.
