Kendel Felix, the man charged in the murder five years ago of Williamsburg businessman Reb Menachem Stark z”l, appeared this afternoon before Judge Danny Chun, acting justice of the Kings County Supreme Court, and was sentenced to 15 years to life behind bars.
Kendel’s shortened sentence was attributed to his having cooperated with prosecutor Howard Jackson in the trial of his co-defendant, his cousin, Erskin Felix, who won’t be sentenced until June and could face up to 25 years in prison.
Kendel, who has already been in jail for five years and will thus be released in ten years, could have received a max of 25 years to life, but got the reduced number because of what Jackson called “oustanding” cooperation. Kendel was 26 years old at the time of the murder.
Kendel told the Stark family in the courtroom that he is sorry for what he did and that he did not know that his involvement in this crime would lead to Menachem’s death.
In the past, Kendel confessed to police that he and another person physically struggled with Menachem, forced him into the vehicle and drove away. According to the chief medical examiner of Nassau County, Menachem died as a result of asphyxia by compression of neck and chest. Investigations revealed that Menachem was screaming on the top of his lungs, when Felix and the others were ordered to sit on him to quieten him down. As a result, Menachem suffocated and passed away.
{Matzav.com Newscenter}