OSWEGO, NY – A 37-year-old man will spend decades in prison after a jury found him guilty of beating a woman to death inside his Oswego home, a crime a judge described as among the most disturbing he has encountered. Ricky Colon was sentenced Monday to 25 years to life in prison for the murder of 38-year-old Rachel Allen, following his conviction earlier this year on multiple felony charges.
Colon was found guilty in February of second-degree murder, assault, criminal possession of a weapon, and tampering with physical evidence. Oswego County Supreme Court Justice Armen Nazarian ordered the maximum sentence on the murder count, along with additional terms for the other convictions, all to run concurrently.
The killing occurred on July 13, 2024, at Colon’s residence in the City of Oswego, about 40 miles north of Syracuse. Prosecutors said Allen was beaten repeatedly with a cast-iron stove grate in an attack so violent the metal fractured into pieces.
Crime scene and injuries detailed in court
Nazarian described the attack in stark terms during sentencing, citing the scale of the injuries and the condition of the home afterward. “The sheer violence required to inflict those injuries demonstrates an astonishing level of cruelty,” the judge said, “and defies comprehension.”
According to trial testimony, the medical examiner determined Allen suffered 58 external injuries and 13 internal injuries, all consistent with blunt force trauma. First responders familiar with Allen reportedly could not recognize her due to the extent of the damage.
An insurance report referenced in court indicated more than $20,000 in cleaning services were required at the scene. Nazarian called the case one of the most “brutal and disturbing” he had seen.
After the killing, Colon recorded several cellphone videos inside the residence. In the footage, he appeared covered in blood, crying and speaking incoherently while claiming he found Allen dead and expressing a desire to call police. A prosecutor later described the recordings as “extremely bizarre.”
Actions after killing and courtroom outburst
Prosecutors said Colon attempted to conceal the crime by moving Allen’s body and burning her clothes before calling 911 and claiming she died from a drug overdose. Evidence at the scene contradicted that account.
“In a final act of profound callousness, he showered over the deceased body, washed the blood off of himself and onto her,” Nazarian said. “He’s demonstrated a complete and absolute lack of remorse.”
During sentencing, Colon interrupted proceedings with an obscenity-laced outburst, asserting he did not receive a fair trial because he was not allowed to testify. Deputies removed him from the courtroom, and the hearing continued in his absence.
Defense cites military service, prosecution rejects argument
Defense attorney Michael Spano argued Colon’s military service during the Iraq War and subsequent post-traumatic stress disorder should be considered in sentencing. “Judge, he entered the service one person and came back a different person,” Spano said. “We see that in the letter his brother wrote. He describes him as a happy person, always smiling, but when he came back he was a profoundly different person.”
The court had previously barred mention of Colon’s PTSD diagnosis during trial despite repeated attempts by the defense.
Prosecutor Louis Mannara urged the court to impose the harshest sentence, rejecting any mitigation. “Now I’m asking this court to give him what he deserves,” Mannara said. “He showed no mercy…At this point in time the people request you show him the same. He’s not deserving of any.”
Nazarian also criticized statements Colon made in a presentencing report, including a claim that he provided Allen alcohol to prevent withdrawal symptoms before killing her later that same day. The judge said Colon attempted to use alcohol and PTSD to deflect responsibility and had not sought help for his issues.
“The defendant who absolutely refuses to acknowledge his role in his own horrific actions is a defendant who can’t be rehabilitated,” Nazarian said. “His complete lack of remorse combined with his proven capacity for extreme, explosive violence makes him a profound and continuing danger to society and the community. Therefore the maximum sentence allowable by law are not only appropriate in this case, they are absolutely necessary.”