In the early morning hours of June 6, 2025, a dispute over a sum of money in Moriches, New York, ended in tragedy. Rebecca Roth, a 33-year-old woman, was fatally shot multiple times while sitting in the driver's seat of her Hyundai Elantra, where she was preparing to leave for work. The grim discovery was made hours later by her own mother in the parking lot of the Tall Oaks Apartments where they lived. Roth was pronounced dead at the scene, having sustained several gunshot wounds to her torso.
The investigation quickly led authorities to her 40-year-old ex-boyfriend, James Quininchetta of Ridge. According to prosecutors, the motive for the killing was a debt of $1,500 that Roth allegedly owed Quininchetta and had refused to repay. It is alleged that in the pre-dawn hours, Quininchetta traveled by a rideshare service to Roth's apartment complex. There, he reportedly fired a. 45 caliber semi-automatic handgun into her vehicle seven times before fleeing the scene. He is said to have discarded the weapon and a fanny pack containing ammunition in the vicinity, which were later recovered by police.
The day after the shooting, James Quininchetta turned himself in at the Suffolk County Police Seventh Precinct. He was subsequently arrested and charged with second-degree murder and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon. Authorities reported that Quininchetta provided a videotaped confession, in which he shared details that only the perpetrator could have known.
Following his arrest, Quininchetta was arraigned and pleaded not guilty. A grand jury later indicted him on the charges. At his arraignment on the indictment, the judge ordered him to be held without bail. His defense attorney has stated that his client maintains his innocence and they are preparing for trial. If convicted of the top charge, Quininchetta faces the possibility of 40 years to life in prison. In the wake of her death, friends and family set up a GoFundMe campaign to help support Rebecca Roth's young son and to cover her funeral expenses.
