In the early hours of a Saturday night in Rochester, New York, a dispute erupted near a food cart at the corner of East Avenue and Union Street that would end in the death of 25-year-old Michael Mathis. On January 21, 2023, the young man was shot during an argument and succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation into the shooting led to the arrest of 23-year-old Gregory O'Neal. Prosecutors revealed that the conflict between O'Neal and Mathis stemmed from a 2015 triple homicide case.
Mathis had been previously tried and acquitted in connection with those killings, and it is believed this history was the catalyst for the fatal confrontation.
In the subsequent legal proceedings, Gregory O'Neal accepted a plea deal. He pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter for his role in Michael Mathis's death. As a result of his plea, O'Neal was sentenced to serve 14 years in prison for the killing.
