QUEENS, N.Y. — A Queens man has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the fatal 2022 stabbing of FDNY EMS Captain Alison Russo, District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Monday.
Peter Zisopoulos, 37, of Astoria, was convicted last month of second-degree murder and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon after a 12-day jury trial. The jury reached its verdict in less than an hour. Queens Supreme Court Justice Ushir Pandit-Durant imposed the maximum sentence following the conviction.
On September 29, 2022, Russo, 61, was on duty and in uniform when Zisopoulos exited his apartment on 41st Street, attacked her unprovoked, and stabbed her multiple times with a kitchen knife, striking vital organs.
Key Points
- Peter Zisopoulos was sentenced to 25 years to life for the 2022 murder of EMS Captain Alison Russo
- Russo was attacked while on duty in Astoria in an unprovoked knife assault
- The defendant was convicted after a 12-day trial and brief jury deliberation
A passerby attempted to intervene but was chased off by the knife-wielding attacker. Zisopoulos then returned to his apartment, where he was later taken into custody following a standoff. A knife found in his pants pocket contained DNA from both him and the victim.
Russo was transported to a hospital where she was pronounced dead. She was posthumously promoted to captain in recognition of her 24 years of service, including her work during the September 11 recovery efforts.