Sentencing for hired Middletown hit man postponed for 4th time
Damante Stansberry will be sentenced today for the killing of Jeffrey Harris.
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The sentencing for a hired hit man who pleaded guilty to a fatal 2022 stabbing in the Town of Wallkill has been postponed for a fourth time.
Damante Stansberry, 24, is facing up to 20 years in prison. His sentencing was originally scheduled for July 2023, September 2023, January 2024 and on Wednesday - when it was rescheduled again.
Stansberry admitted to stabbing Jeffrey Harris, 53, multiple times in the backyard of the victim’s home on Brookline Avenue in October 2022 while Harris worked on his fence.
Prosecutors say he was hired by the victim’s neighbor, Enoch Lowe, who was indicted for his alleged role in the murder late last year after Stansberry’s guilty plea. Authorities say Lowe and Harris were involved in a longtime neighbor dispute and had a history of police involvement, including a restraining order issued on behalf of Harris against Lowe prior to his death.
Lowe pleaded not guilty to conspiring to the murder and is due back in court March 21. He’s accused of offering the hit man $15,000 and an undisclosed amount of marijuana to carry out the crime.
Authorities say discarded clothing, rubber gloves, a mask and a shoe worn by Stansberry during the crime were found in a nearby storm drain, and that additional evidence was found in both Stansberry and Lowe’s residences.
Stansberry’s sentencing is now scheduled for May 2.
