QUEENS, NY – Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Kareem Flake has pleaded guilty to manslaughter for the killing of a 26-year-old mother of two in November 2020. The victim’s remains were found four months later in the trunk of an abandoned car owned by the defendant.
According to the plea agreement, Flake, a 31-year-old resident of Troy, admitted to manslaughter in the first degree. Queens Supreme Court Justice Michael Aloise has indicated that he intends to sentence Flake on September 28, 2023, to 22 years in prison, followed by five years of post-release supervision.
The tragic incident began when Destini Smothers, 26, was last seen in a car with Flake after celebrating her birthday with friends at a Woodside bowling alley on November 3, 2020. On November 8, 2020, Smothers was reported missing, prompting an investigation.
Months later, on March 10, 2021, a Toyota Camry was found abandoned at the intersection of 134th Avenue and 151st Place in South Jamaica. During the process of towing the vehicle, the operator noticed a flat tire and opened the trunk to find a spare. Shockingly, inside the trunk, he discovered the decomposed remains of the victim and immediately alerted the authorities. It was subsequently confirmed that the car belonged to Kareem Flake.
Following the discovery, a medical examination conducted by the New York City Medical Examiner revealed that Smothers had died from a gunshot wound to the head.
Kareem Flake was arrested on April 9, 2022, in Osceola County, Florida, and was later extradited to New York to face charges in connection with this heinous crime. District Attorney Katz expressed hope that the guilty plea will bring some comfort to the grieving family of the young mother whose life was tragically cut short.