In a tragedy that unfolded within the walls of their Queens home, 40-year-old Jessica Mera lost her life on April 19, 2014. A female who had been with her husband since they were teenagers, her life was cut short in an act of domestic violence that left a lasting scar on her family and community. The quiet neighborhood of Ozone Park was shaken by the events that transpired, forever altering the lives of those involved.
On that Saturday morning, inside their 104th Street residence, a domestic dispute between Jessica and her husband, Kevin Canty, a 43-year-old retired NYPD officer, escalated to a fatal conclusion. In a fit of rage fueled by suspicions of infidelity, Canty used a 9mm handgun to shoot his wife multiple times. The brutal act was witnessed by the couple's two young children, who were aged six and nine at the time.
Following the shooting, the terrified children fled their home, running to a nearby bodega and crying out for help, exclaiming that their father had just shot their mother. Jessica Mera was rushed to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, but her injuries were too severe, and she was pronounced dead. In the immediate aftermath, Kevin Canty, who appeared to be intoxicated, was apprehended by police a short distance from the crime scene. He was found with the weapon used in the shooting still in his possession.
Canty was arrested and subsequently charged with second-degree murder and criminal use of a firearm. He confessed to the killing, citing jealousy as his motive. Initially held without bail, he underwent a psychiatric evaluation. In a move that would spare his children the trauma of testifying in court, Kevin Canty pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in November 2015. In January 2016, the former police officer was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the death of his wife, bringing a legal conclusion to a case that left a family shattered by violence.
