Mount vernon man gets 16 years for fatal white plains stabbing on fourth of july
Prison fence. Grid fence with barbed wire against sunset. Barbed wire. Security measures for prisoners in prison.

Mount Vernon man gets 16 years for fatal White Plains stabbing on Fourth of July

Posted by
1 min read
August 23, 2025

WHITE PLAINS, NY – A Mount Vernon man who stabbed another man to death during a violent confrontation in downtown White Plains last summer will spend the next 16 years in state prison following his sentencing Thursday in Westchester County Court.

Nathaniel Hill, 55, pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in March for fatally stabbing 40-year-old Bernard Potillo of Yonkers in the abdomen on July 4 during an altercation. Supreme Court Justice James McCarty handed down the 16-year sentence, closing the book on what prosecutors described as a senseless killing that shattered a family’s future.

According to the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, Hill and Potillo were involved in a confrontation that escalated into violence near downtown White Plains. Potillo later died from the single stab wound.

At sentencing, Potillo’s longtime girlfriend, Caprisse Hall, delivered a victim impact statement describing the deep emotional toll of the killing. Hall told the court the couple had planned to build a life together, start businesses, and eventually marry.

“Our future was taken,” Hall’s statement read. “The life we were crafting together vanished in one devastating moment.”

District Attorney Susan Cacace called the case a “sad example of a senseless and tragic killing,” adding that she hopes the sentence brings some measure of closure to Potillo’s grieving family.

The case was investigated by White Plains police and prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Adrian Murphy and Violent Criminal Enterprise Bureau Chief James Bavero.

Hill has been held in custody since his arrest shortly after the incident.


Key Points

  • Nathaniel Hill, 55, sentenced to 16 years for July 4 stabbing death of Bernard Potillo
  • Potillo was stabbed once in the abdomen in White Plains and later died
  • Victim’s girlfriend delivered emotional courtroom statement about shattered future

Fourth of July violence ends with prison sentence and heartbreak for a Yonkers family.

Phil Stilton

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.

Don't Miss