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Jaquan Morrison, of Schenectady, was convicted of murder in Schenectady County Court on Friday, Dec. 8, in the killing of 21-year-old Dwayne Harris.
Prosecutors said Harris allowed Morrison to stay at a Schenectady home, located on Maple Avenue, that he shared with several roommates in April 2022.
However, on the morning of April 12, Morrison got into an altercation with one of the other roommates and everyone demanded that he leave the home.
Several hours later, Harris was found stabbed to death in an upstairs bedroom. Witnesses saw Morrison crouched over his body and covered in his blood, prosecutors said.
Detectives later recovered a large kitchen knife with Harris’ blood on it in a bathroom.
During his arrest, Morrison admitted that he and Harris had gotten into a fight.
An autopsy revealed that Harris had been stabbed 65 times, including in the neck, chest, and stomach.
Morrison’s defense attorney argued that he was suffering from a delusional disorder and was not criminally responsible for the killing.
Jurors rejected the argument and found him guilty of second-degree murder.
“It is likely that the jury found that he stabbed his friend Dwayne Harris 65 times causing his death in a fit of rage. He was angry, not insane,” said Schenectady County District Attorney Robert Carney.
“Mr. Harris suffered a vicious death at the hands of Mr. Morrison, and this verdict at least offers his family a measure of justice…”
Morrison will be sentenced at a later date.
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