Sentencing of Killers

Jack Hayes, Chairman

 Law Enforcement & Public Safety  Committee

P.O. Box 1800
Kingston, NY  12402
Telephone:  845 340-3900
FAX:  845 340-3651

May 9, 2011

On May 6, 2011 I was present at the sentencing hearing for convicted killers
Trevor “Little T” Mattis and Gary “G Money” Griffin at the Ulster County Court in Kingston, NY. Both men had been convicted of killing Charles King Jr. in an execution style attack in which King was killed with two bullets to the back of the head.
As a thirty five year veteran of the New York State Police and a Veteran of Foreign Wars, I thought myself a somewhat “hardened” observer. I was wrong. These two killers shook my sense of what vile criminal behavior is. Each killer treated everyone in the courtroom with scorn and disrespect. Neither man exhibited the slightest remorse for his brutal crime. Each convict verbally lashed out at Judge Williams and District Attorney Carnright. Court Security was needed at one point to prevent Mattis from approaching Judge Williams. These two alleged members of the Sex Money Murder (pretty much says it all) gang were the epitome of evil.
The professionalism, patience and restrain exhibited by police security, District Attorney Holley Carnright and Judge Don Williams were admirable. The Officers of the Court were all that is right about our Criminal Justice system just as sure as Mattis and Griffin represented all that was wrong.
Ulster County is fortunate it has the Criminal Justice infrastructure that it does. The threats of dangerous organized gangs are real and the efforts to remove these elements from our society must be pursued with vigor. I strongly support and commend our police forces, prosecutors and judges for their diligence and courage in confronting this problem. Hopefully the pair’s Life in Prison without the possibility of parole sentence will keep them from hurting anyone again.

Jack Hayes
Chairman
Ulster County Law Enforcement and Public Safety Committee
Johnjhayesucld8@hvc.rr.com