In the early evening of January 30, 2025, a fatal encounter unfolded outside Albany News & Variety on Central Avenue in Albany, NY, forever altering the lives of two families. Dewitt Miller, a 30-year-old male, became the city's first homicide victim of the year after a dispute escalated into deadly violence. Miller was a father to five children and was remembered by his family as a loving and dedicated parent who would have celebrated his 30th birthday just two days after his death.
He was a hardworking man, holding a supervisory position with the Department of General Services and supplementing his income by working for MVP Albany and as a DoorDash driver to provide for his family.
The man responsible for Miller's untimely death was 35-year-old Leonardo Guzman of Schenectady. Following an argument with Miller around 5:30 p.m., Guzman, without brandishing a weapon, fired a gun that was concealed inside his jacket pocket. The bullet struck Miller in the groin, leading to substantial blood loss. Despite being rushed to Albany Medical Center Hospital, Miller succumbed to his injuries later that evening. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, surveillance footage captured Guzman calmly walking to his girlfriend's apartment on Robin Street while smoking a cigarette.
An investigation swiftly led to the identification and arrest of Leonardo Guzman. He was initially charged with second-degree murder and felony weapons possession. His girlfriend, 43-year-old Talesha Wynn, was also implicated in the crime. She was accused of attempting to wash Guzman's jacket to remove gunshot residue, a clear effort to tamper with physical evidence. Wynn later pleaded guilty to this charge and was sentenced to three years of probation for her role in the cover-up.
Leonardo Guzman ultimately pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of first-degree manslaughter. During his sentencing, he remained silent, offering no words of remorse or explanation for his actions. The presiding judge, acting state Supreme Court Justice Roger McDonough, underscored the gravity of Guzman's actions, stating that his responsibility for Miller's death 'cannot be wiped clean.' In a heart-wrenching victim impact statement, Miller's sister, Destiny, spoke of the profound and irreparable loss her family has endured, emphasizing that Guzman had robbed Miller's five children of a lifetime with their father. Guzman was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the killing.
