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Orange County resident Junando Dawkins, age 30, of Newburgh, and his brother, Juwaugh Dawkins, age 34, of Jacksonville, Florida, were convicted on Monday, April 29, in Ulster County Court of murder and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon.
According to the Ulster County District Attorney Emmanuel C. Nneji, in January 2023, a homicide investigation was conducted by the New York State Police into the death of Daniel Spotards, a 41-year-old father of two, whose body was found at the end of his driveway in the town of Plattekill on Monday, Jan. 2, 2023.
A local sanitation worker discovered the body and called 911; the ensuing investigation showed that Spotards was shot multiple times at close range on Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023, the DA's Office said.
Court documents show that Plattekill residents also contributed to the investigation by calling law enforcement upon discovering discarded cell phones a short distance from the crime, leading investigators to the Dawkins brothers.
State Police divers also recovered parts of a Glock semi-automatic pistol from the Hudson River in January 2023 that included DNA from Juwaugh Dawkins, officials said.
A search ensued for the two men. Junando Dawkins was apprehended at Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg) in North Carolina in March of 2023 as he was about to deploy overseas.
Juwaugh Dawkins was found in Florida and eventually extradited in June 2023.
"Today, an Ulster County jury of 11 women and one man returned a verdict of guilty in a premeditated murder case," said Nneji. "Their patience, attention to detail, and courage to serve without fear or favor is a great testament to their commitment to the rule of law."
Both men face up to 25 years to life in prison when they are sentenced in July.
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