Washington Heights, NY – Mugger Gets 25 Years for Elevator Slay of Elderly Jew

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    Jacob GersteleWashington Heights, NY – A 6-foot-6 career mugger who bludgeoned an 81-year-old Orthodox Jew to death while robbing him in his Washington Heights elevator was slammed today with a maximum sentence of 25 years to life for the brutal murder.

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    Victim Jacob Gerstle had been coming home from his synagogue in 2006 when William Hill, 28, punched him in the head so hard, Gerstle lapsed into a coma and died two days later,(as was reported here on VIN News).

    “Had Mr. Hill just gone into the elevator and said ‘I’m down on my luck,’ he probably would have invited him up to the apartment and given him something to eat,” Gerstle’s son, Leon, told Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Bruce Allen during the crowded sentencing.

    Gerstle ran a food pantry and helped neighbors find funds, schools and jobs. His last words may well have been to his murderer, to whom he said, “Hi, how are you?” according to Hill’s own admissions.

    “I’ve tried dozens of murder cases in my career,” the judge said in throwing the book at the hulking murderer. “This is one of the most brutal crimes I’ve had to face.

    “To attack a frail, elderly man in an elevator is every citizen’s nightmare.”

    Hill was linked to the heinous crime by his confessions to a friend and cops, as well as surveillance video from his Bennett Avenue lobby showing someone of the Hill’s size, age and race following Gerstle into the elevator.

    Still, the veteran robber denied it was him, claiming his confession was coerced by threatening cops. “It’s as if he was in a hotel getting room service,” defense lawyer Daniel Gotlin had scoffed of prosecutors” insistence that Hill was fed and well cared for in custody.

    Hill’s 2008 trial on the same murder case ended in a hung jury.

    WCBS report from 2006


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    32 Comments
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    Justice
    Justice
    14 years ago

    what is the minimum sentence this creep yemach shemo will have to serve?

    25 years?
    25 years?
    14 years ago

    Premeditated murder, should had got him excecution

    I hope he never gets out
    I hope he never gets out
    14 years ago

    While this wasn’t premeditated murder a 6 foot 6 inch monster who can punch an 81 year old with all his might is a real monster that should be off the streets permanently.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Why didnt he get the death penalty like Martin Grossman?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    So for killing a Jew you get 11 years, yet there seemed to have been no mercy for Mr. Grossman, for him life in prison was not an option What a world ?

    Professor
    Professor
    14 years ago

    Do you now understand why the death penalty is necessary? The
    Torah mandates its implementation and it is incumbent on Gentile
    societies to impose it as part of the Noahide Code—Dee-nim.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Just like I said for Grossman. This piece of crap deserves the death penalty. And his intent was to kill a Jew. Everyone who knows Bennet knows it is Jewish occupied. He could have stolen from a Dominican if he wanted to. Let this kid rot in jail I only wish he could get the death penalty.

    clear thinker
    clear thinker
    14 years ago

    Why do posters who know nothing about the law feel they should comment on what the minimum sentence is? New York State does not have the death penalty. I certainly hope that after 25 years the parole board denies this inmate parole. I would like to see Hill end his days in prison .
    To those posters who argue about premeditation, New York does not have a statute requiring premeditation. Either the defendant must “with the intent to kill” cause death or cause death during the commission of a felony.

    Justice does not make any sense
    Justice does not make any sense
    14 years ago

    Martin was excecuted, and this animal get’s life? Shame

    PR
    PR
    14 years ago

    Mr. Gerstle’s death at the hand of this now convicted criminal was very tragic. However, Grossman’s act was much more premeditated than this. Apples and pears, which is why the sentences meted out are different. Grossman had a hasraah, as his victim pleaded with him. This murderous bloke acted on impulse, however. He is a criminal and deserves punishment, but however much it pains me to have to recognize this, Gorssman acted far worse.

    Shame on our system
    Shame on our system
    14 years ago

    So that’s where our tax monie goes, we need new and better judges.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    maybe he will become jewish in prison

    emes
    emes
    14 years ago

    uch n vey. how tragic. see how people grow up without conscience. He was fed and ok, and he had to do this. Someone must have overpowered and abused him his entire childhood and nobody stepped in, like a teacher or neighbor to stop it. So now he becomes this monster and does this horrific thing.
    If it had to happen, it should have been in Florida…..

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Too bad R’ Yakov Gerstle Hy”d wasn’t a beautiful park ranger.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    NY does not have the death penatly because when it was enacted by Pataki in 1994 shortly after his election (it was one of his signature campaign promises) it was hastily drafted and declared unconsitutional as drafted 10 years later by the NY Court of Appeals (the highest court in NY). At that time Pataki did not care to pass a new law.
    While this murder may not have been premeditated in the traditional sense of the word, this would be a felony-murder (a murder that happens during the comission of a felony, in this case the robbery) and in most states that have the death penalty would be a capital offense. The Judge in this case could not do any more than he did and hopefully the parole board in 25 years will keep him locked up. Scum like this don’t deserve to breathe free air.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    in this country stealing is worse then murder as we see the diffrence between this case and rubashkins case

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    You get what you elect. The heimish community elects Shumer and all the othe liberal or comprimising politicians thats what you get. If you get murdered dont expect to have the killer get more than 7 years in prison.WHY? Because our leadership believes in getting funding for executive directors pockets instead of getting real vouchers for parents,getting tax cuts on real estate and water taxes. If you want liberal politicians who have one thing in mind of how to continue corrupting the morals of America. One issue bothers them most ,that homosexuals need to get married.And all you frum people from Brooklyn to Queens vote for Nadler,Schumer,Parker, Green, Anthony Weiner,Debazio and you wonder why when you get a bullet in the head or stabbed in the heart ,the killers get 7 years jail. Unless we change our voting patterns,Jews will remain victims with Jewish blood cheap like water. I for one vote politically conservative straight through to be on the safe side..