Homeless man sentenced to 32½ years to life for stabbing Brooklyn philanthropist and setting townhouse ablaze
Brooklyn, NY – A homeless man was sentenced today to 32½ years to life after a jury found he stabbed a Brooklyn philanthropist 22 times inside the victim’s Fort Greene home and then set the townhouse on fire, a sentence that follows a conviction in a case prosecutors described as brutal and deliberate.
Prosecutors say the defendant, 38-year-old Dondre Richardson, entered the Fort Greene residence on Adelphi Street in the early hours of January 20, 2020, stabbed the victim repeatedly and then ignited a blaze before fleeing the scene. Firefighters discovered the victim inside the building while responding to the fire. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled the cause of death as stab wounds. Investigators recovered the defendant’s fingerprints on a bloody knife left at the scene and surveillance footage placed him outside the building at the time of the attack. Richardson was arrested eight days later and, following a jury trial, was convicted of second-degree murder and third-degree arson. Today’s sentence combines consecutive terms for those convictions.
The victim, identified by prosecutors as L. Antonio Litman, was known in the Fort Greene community for charitable work and for offering support to neighbors in need. The sentence was imposed by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Donald Leo and includes a 25 years to life term for second-degree murder followed by a consecutive 7½ to 15 years for third-degree arson. The convictions were returned on June 24 following a trial that featured forensic and surveillance evidence linking Richardson to the crime.
The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office handled the prosecution through its Green Zone Trial Bureau, and court records show Richardson was represented at trial. The sentence brings to a close the criminal case and leaves unresolved civil and community questions about violence against vulnerable residents and the safety of charitable spaces.
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Key Points
- Dondre Richardson was sentenced to 32½ years to life after convictions for second-degree murder and third-degree arson
- The victim, L. Antonio Litman, was stabbed 22 times inside his Fort Greene home and the residence was set on fire
- Investigators recovered the defendant’s fingerprints on a bloody knife and surveillance video placed him near the scene