Jury finds Elmhurst man guilty in brutal series of random attacks across Queens neighborhoods
QUEENS, N.Y. — A Queens man accused of carrying out a terrifying two-week stabbing spree across Elmhurst and Astoria that left one man dead and three others wounded has been convicted on murder and attempted murder charges, prosecutors announced.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said Mark Albano, 39, of Elmhurst, was found guilty Thursday following a jury trial tied to four separate knife attacks in 2021.
Jurors convicted Albano of second-degree murder, multiple counts of attempted murder, assault and weapons charges after deliberating for approximately five hours.
Prosecutors said the attacks were unprovoked and unfolded across multiple locations in Queens over a two-week span.
According to trial testimony, the first attack happened around 3:30 a.m. on April 23, 2021, when Albano approached 57-year-old Leroy Williams on the platform of the Grand Avenue-Newtown subway station in Elmhurst and stabbed him in the chest.
Williams later died at a hospital from his injuries.
Authorities said Albano fled the station and discarded his jacket in a nearby trash can after the attack.
On May 3, 2021, prosecutors said Albano stabbed another man in the back of the neck from behind while the victim walked along 35th Avenue in Astoria.
The victim survived after receiving stitches at a hospital.
Four days later, prosecutors said Albano followed a 31-year-old man near 51st Avenue and 90th Street in Elmhurst before stabbing him in the back of the neck.
The victim suffered a severed spinal cord and permanent injuries, according to prosecutors.
The next day, authorities said Albano stabbed a 40-year-old man inside a reputed gambling den in Elmhurst, leaving the victim bleeding heavily from wounds to the arm and armpit.
Police arrested Albano nearby shortly after the final attack while he allegedly carried a bag containing a knife.
Queens Supreme Court Justice Ushir Pandit-Durant ordered Albano to return to court July 24 for sentencing.
He faces up to 100 years to life in prison.
Key Points
- A Queens man was convicted in a deadly 2021 stabbing spree that killed one victim and injured three others
- Prosecutors said the attacks were random and unfolded over two weeks in Elmhurst and Astoria
- The defendant faces up to 100 years to life in prison at sentencing
