In a tragic turn of events on a summer evening in Buffalo, New York, the life of 31-year-old Benjamin Gerald was cut short by gun violence. On August 23, 2014, Gerald was a passenger in a vehicle on May Street when it was fired upon. The vehicle subsequently crashed and overturned. While another passenger, Deverin L. White, aged 30, died at the scene, Gerald was rushed into surgery but succumbed to his injuries a short time later.
The investigation into the double homicide led police to
identify Christopher J. Perkins, Jr., then 23, as the primary suspect. Perkins, a resident of Cheektowaga, fled the Buffalo area following the shooting. A manhunt ensued, and he was eventually apprehended in Oklahoma by the U.S. Marshals. Perkins was extradited back to Buffalo to face charges for the deaths of Gerald and White.
In March 2016, Christopher J. Perkins, Jr. stood trial for the murders. The proceedings were conducted as a non-jury trial. Despite his claims of innocence and assertions that he acted in self-defense stemming from a prior altercation with a different individual, the court found him guilty. The following month, Perkins, then 24, was convicted of murder, attempted murder, and criminal possession of a weapon. He was sentenced to a term of 40 years to life in prison for his role in the deaths of Benjamin Gerald and Deverin White. His attorney stated an intention to appeal the verdict.
