An Elmhurst man, Roscoe Danielson, was sentenced to serve a half-century behind bars for the murder of his mother and brother, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced yesterday. Convicted on a litany of counts, including murder and tampering with evidence, Danielson will be looking at 50 years to life in prison. After a two-week trial, the verdict was handed down for the gruesome July 2023 murders that rocked the East Elmhurst community.
According to the Queens District Attorney's Office, the scene was described as one of "the grisliest" they've ever encountered. Danielson, who was 42 at the time of the sentencing, stabbed his mother, Cheryl Myrick, 38 times and his brother, Kyle Danielson, 50 times, and also shot Kyle in the torso. The latter's body was found concealed inside a garbage bag on a curb, while the decomposed remains of his mother were discovered in their home.
The DA's statement echoed the brutality of these acts: "Roscoe Danielson murdered his mother and brother in one of the grisliest crime scenes we have ever encountered," Katz stated. "The defendant stabbed his mother 38 times and knifed his brother 50 times, also shooting him in the torso. Danielson compounded the brutality of his crime by hiding his brother's body in a garbage bag and dragging it to the curb, and by leaving his mother to decompose in her East Elmhurst home." These were the words extracted from the Queens District Attorney's Office as they reflected on the impact on the victims' family, hoping for a "measure of solace" amidst their mourning.
Danielson's apprehension came about after being spotted with his young son in a stroller, from which hung the black bag later found to contain a 9 mm handgun and a knife. After being taken into custody, a search warrant led to the grim discovery of Myrick's body in the family home. Jurors heard during the trial that both victims met their end on the Fourth of July in 2023. Senior Assistant District Attorney Kenneth Zawistowski prosecuted the case, which fell under the auspices of the Homicide Bureau and was supervised by high-ranking officials within the District Attorney's Office. Justice Kenneth C. Holder presided over the trial, sentencing Danielson, and imposing additional post-release supervision.
