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Ex-Con Commuted By Cuomo Murders 27-Year-Old NY Man, DA Says

An anti-violence activist who once spent decades in prison before he was granted early release by former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is now accused of killing a 27-year-old man.

Dontie Mitchell, age 43, is charged with second-degree murder in the killing of Shieer Leggett on Main Street in Cohoes on Friday, Aug. 11.

Dontie Mitchell, age 43, is charged with second-degree murder in the killing of Shieer Leggett on Main Street in Cohoes on Friday, Aug. 11.

Photo Credit: Albany County DA/Google Maps street view

Dontie Mitchell, age 43, of Albany, was indicted on murder and related charges by an Albany County grand jury on Friday, Aug. 18, in the death of Shieer Leggett.

According to the Albany County District Attorney’s Office, Mitchell, either alone or with others, shot Leggett to death in Cohoes, near Main and Schuyler streets, on Friday, Aug. 11.

Mitchell is also accused of having an illegal handgun at the time of the murder and “recklessly engaging in conduct that showed a depraved indifference to human life,” according to prosecutors.

Investigators did not speculate on a possible motive for the killing.

It’s not the first time that Mitchell has faced criminal charges. He previously served 24 years in prison after being convicted of robbery, according to state records.

The robbery occurred when Mitchell was 17 years old, and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo granted him clemency in August 2021.

While in prison, Mitchell mentored other inmates who have faced challenges, and later founded the Money Gang Youth Group, which stresses the importance of kids staying in school, WTEN reports.

“People think that things are etched in stone,” he told the outlet. “What’s written can be changed.”

Mitchell remains locked up at the Albany County jail awaiting his next court appearance.

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