Former fugitive from Auburndale sentenced for murder after gunning down a man in Jamaica: DA – QNS
Damian Howell, 42, of 194th Street, was convicted by a jury of fatally shooting 29-year-old Julian Askew, after the two men got into an argument inside the bodega over crude remarks the defendant made to Askew’s girlfriend.
“Damian Howell brazenly shot a young man after propositioning the victim’s girlfriend for sex,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said.
According to the charges and trial testimony, on Aug. 5, 2022, at approximately 1:11 a.m., Howell was inside a bodega located at 106-32 Sutphin Blvd. near Tuskegee Airmen Way, when he approached the girlfriend of victim Julian Askew. Howell propositioned the woman for sex, and she told Askew that the defendant made her feel uncomfortable. Askew then approached defendant Howell and the two engaged in a verbal argument.
Howell left the location, returned approximately 30 minutes later wearing different clothing and immediately approached Askew. The two men then walked to the end of the block and as they arrived at the corner, Howell produced a gun and shot Askew in the torso. The girlfriend, who was following behind the two men, observed the shooting and called 911. The defendant fled the location immediately after shooting.
Police from the 103rd Precinct found Askew unconscious in a pool of blood. EMS rushed him to Jamaica Hospital Center and he was initially paralyzed from the waist down. He died on November 14, 2022, as a result of injuries sustained in the shooting.
Howell became a fugitive when he left the United States and traveled to the United Kingdom 11 days after Askew succumbed to his injuries, and was apprehended on May 10, 2023, when he returned to JFK airport.
The jury deliberated for just two hours before reaching a verdict in August. Howell was convicted of murder in the second degree and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree. Queens Supreme Court Justice Ushir Pandit-Durant sentenced him to 35 years to life in prison.
“While Julian Askew died three months later from his injuries, the defendant fled the country in a futile effort to evade justice,” Katz said. “Howell was apprehended, tried and convicted for this senseless murder. I hope today’s sentence helps Askew’s family and friends as they continue to mourn his loss.”