Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced that Basheer Vinson, 30, of Brooklyn, was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison after a jury found him guilty of Murder in the Second Degree and other related charges, for an attempted robbery and shooting in 2020, which took the life of Mark Birthwright, 26, of Bay Shore, and injured a 30 year-old male from Bellport.
“Unfortunately, this sentence cannot change history and the fact that the loss of the victim’s life was sudden, brutal and senseless,” said District Attorney Tierney. “This was a violent and premeditated murder and robbery. We are gratified that the judge imposed the requested maximum sentence and hope the victim’s loved ones find some small degree of solace in this very well-deserved sentence.”
The evidence at trial established that on August 2, 2020, Vinson attended a house party on Patton Avenue in Wyandanch. In the early morning hours, at approximately 2:05 a.m., Birthwright and the other victim were leaving the same party when Birthwright dropped a large roll of cash on the ground. He picked it up and continued to walk out of the party. Once outside, Vinson and a second unknown individual approached Birthwright with guns drawn and demanded the cash.
A brief struggle ensued between Birthwright and Vinson during which Vinson’s purple baseball hat was knocked off his head and landed on the ground. Vinson then fired a single shot into the chest of Birthwright. When the other victim ran back to help Birthwright, Vinson fired a shot at him as well, striking him in the side.
The police were contacted, and Vinson and the second individual ran off. Birthwright was pronounced dead at the scene. The other victim was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Vinson’s DNA was recovered from the purple baseball cap left at the scene, and a partial DNA profile that matched Vinson’s was recovered from one of the spent 9mm cartridge casings. Vinson was arrested on October 4, 2022.
On September 24, 2024, Vinson was convicted of the following charges after a jury trial heard before Supreme Court Justice Timothy P. Mazzei:
- Murder in the Second Degree, a Class A felony;
- Attempted Assault in the First Degree, a Class C violent felony;
- Attempted Robbery in the First Degree, a Class C violent felony;
- Assault in the Second Degree, a Class D violent felony; and
- Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a Class C violent felony.
On April 2, 2025, Justice Mazzei sentenced Vinson to 25 years to life in prison for his conviction of Murder in the Second Degree, and 15 years on his Attempted Assault in the First Degree conviction to run consecutively, for a total sentence of 40 years to life. All other charges are to run concurrently. He was represented by John Halverson, Esq.
This case was prosecuted by Bureau Chief Timothy Gough and Assistant District Attorney Dena Rizopoulos of the Homicide Bureau, and the investigation was conducted by Detectives Jeff Bottari and Scott Aquilino of the Suffolk County Police Department’s Homicide Squad.
Criminal complaints and indictments are merely accusatory instruments. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. No one is above the law.