Jury Convicts Hempstead Man of Murder in Attempted Robbery Gone Wrong

Pender faces up to 25 years to life in prison after shooting victim in the neck

MINEOLA, NY - Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice announced today that Rashawn Pender has been convicted by a jury of murder for shooting a man to death in a Hempstead apartment building last October. Rice said the shooting was an attempted robbery gone bad.

Pender, 20, of Hempstead, was found guilty of Murder in the Second Degree, Attempted Robbery in the First Degree, and two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree. He faces up to 25 years to life in prison at his September 8 sentencing.

Rice said that at about midnight on October 25, 2008, Pender and two other men attending a party at a Hempstead apartment building decided to rob another party attendee, Andre Scott, 23, of Elmont. During the robbery, Scott attempted to flee the scene and was shot once in the neck as he ran past Pender. Scott stumbled down a hallway and attempted to make it down a flight of stairs to the first floor. He was subsequently found by police at the bottom of the stairs and pronounced dead at the scene.

The other two men charged in the crime, Theron Rhodes, 18, of Hempstead, and Derek Cullum, 20, of Roosevelt, pleaded guilty to their roles in the murder and are serving seven and 13 years in prison, respectively.

The jury rejected the defense’s claims that Pender was an innocent bystander who was framed by Rhodes and Cullum.

“This was a senseless act of violence,” Rice said. “Taking the victim’s property was not enough for Mr. Pender, he needed to take his life. For that, we will ask that the defendant serve the rest of his life in prison. I only hope that Mr. Pender’s conviction will bring some semblance of peace and justice to Mr. Scott’s family.”

Assistant District Attorney Christopher Holbrook of the Major Offense Bureau is handling the case for the DA’s Office. The defendant is represented by Michael Elbert, Esq.