On Tuesday, June 9, 2026, David Daniel, 56, a St. Albans landlord, was sentenced to three life terms after a jury found him guilty in the November 2023 stabbings that killed his girlfriend and two tenants. The victims, 51-year-old Coleen Caesar Fields, 57-year-old Wayne Thomas and 55-year-old Evette Sweeney, were found inside the Milburn Street home where the attack took place. Prosecutors say Daniel had turned down a plea offer before the case ever reached a jury.
Conviction, scene and evidence
The Queens District Attorney’s Office said a jury convicted Daniel on three counts of first-degree murder, along with related charges, following a mid-May trial. Prosecutors said the two tenants were discovered in a basement room and Fields was found in a second-floor bedroom. Afterward, Daniel went to the 113th Precinct and told officers he had done “a horrible thing.” According to the office, sentencing was scheduled for June 9. Queens District Attorney’s Office.
Plea offer and trial timeline
According to reporting by the New York Post, prosecutors had offered Daniel a plea of 33 years to life, which he rejected before the case went to trial. The coverage notes that trial openings began in early May and the jury returned guilty verdicts after closing arguments in mid May. The same reporting details the sentencing hearing and outcome. New York Post.
Judge's remarks at sentencing
At Tuesday’s hearing, Queens Supreme Court Justice Kenneth Holder told Daniel, “You need to come to terms with the evil that resides inside of you,” the New York Post reported. The court then imposed three life terms, and the outlet noted those terms leave Daniel without a practical chance of release. New York Post.
What the law allows
Under New York law, a conviction for first-degree murder can result in a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, and courts follow a separate sentencing procedure in such cases. The statutory framework and sentencing rules are laid out in the state’s penal code. FindLaw.
District Attorney Melinda Katz said the verdict and sentence are intended to bring some measure of accountability to the three families still reeling from the Nov. 14, 2023 killings at 122-39 Milburn St. The Queens District Attorney’s Office said Daniel told investigators he had been having trouble with tenants and admitted to doing a “horrible thing.” He remains in custody while the court finalizes sentencing paperwork.
