Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore announced today that Darrell Evans (DOB 11/22/59) of 8 Ellwood Avenue, Mount Vernon, New York plead guilty today to two counts of Murder in the Second Degree, class “A” Felonies, in exchange for a sentence promise of two consecutive terms of twenty years to life in state prison. Additionally the defendant will serve a consecutive term in Federal Prison relating to a 2008 mail fraud conviction.
On January 7, 2010 the defendant and Joan Whitfield were having an argument on the telephone.
The defendant told her he was going to kill both the babysitter and their daughter Ayanna Evans. Whitfield then called the Mt. Vernon Police Department to alert them to defendant’s threats.
Police responded and as they approached the house, the defendant emerges from the front door unarmed and surrenders while admitting to shooting everyone.
Police then entered the house and discovered Lorna Williams, the babysitter, dead from a single gun shot wound to the head and in a bedroom. Ayanna Evans was in her bed having sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the chest. She was rushed to Mt. Vernon Hospital where she later expires.
Police retrieved a loaded .380 handgun near the front door entrance to the house. Ballistics later confirmed that this was the weapon used by the defendant to shoot both victims.
Sentencing will be on March 22nd, 2011.
Assistant District Attorney Perry Perrone Chief of the Homicide Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Amy Puerto, Deputy Chief of the Domestic Violence Bureau prosecuted the case.
Talk of the Sound reported on the murder one year ago: Fourth Grader, Formerly of Ward and Trinity in New Rochelle, Shot and Killed in Mount Vernon