BRONX, NEW YORK, September 12- Bronx District Attorney Robert T. Johnson announced that a 47-year-old deaf Pennsylvania man has been convicted of manslaughter in the stabbing death of a 21-year-old Bronx man in the Summer of 1985.
Gabriel Thompson, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, pled guilty to one count of manslaughter in the first degree before State Supreme Court Justice Margaret Clancy. The judge set sentencing for Thursday, September 27, 2012 in Part H79. Under the plea agreement, Thompson is to receive a term of four to 12 years imprisonment.
Thompson admitted that on August 31, 1985, he stabbed Miguel Lopez once in the chest causing his death during an altercation on the sidewalk in front of an apartment building at 1013 East 180th Street. According to Thompson’s statement to investigators, he believed that Lopez was romantically involved with Thompson’s girlfriend prior to the attack.
The homicide remained unsolved until September 2010 when Thompson was arrested by Retired Detective Anthony Padilla, then assigned to the NYPD Cold Case Squad. NYPD re-opened the investigation in 2006 after receiving a tip from a witness. During the course of his investigation, Det. Padilla re-interviewed several witnesses, including one who said that he failed to identify Thompson in 1985, because he had been threatened. Ultimately, investigators were led to Thompson who had moved out of state to Pennsylvania. When Thompson returned to the Bronx for an extended visit in 2010 he was interviewed by detectives and admitted that he stabbed Lopez.
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