Jury convicts Long Lake man of murdering brother in 2023
A Hamilton County jury found a Long Lake man guilty on Friday of murdering his younger brother. The Hamilton County District Attorney's Office said Patrick J. Skerrett was found guilty of one count of first-degree murder and three counts of criminal possession of a weapon.
LONG LAKE, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A Hamilton County jury found a Long Lake man guilty on Friday of murdering his younger brother. The Hamilton County District Attorney's Office said Patrick J. Skerrett was found guilty of one count of first-degree murder and three counts of criminal possession of a weapon.
The DA's office said the jury reconvened after spending over an hour deliberating with the guilty verdict for the shooting that happened on December 2, 2023, at a home on Deerland Road. New York State Police responded to the home and found the defendant, who said he shot and killed his brother.
After being transported to the state police barracks in Tupper Lake, Skerrett told law enforcement in a sworn statement that he shot his brother in self-defense. State police determined through a lengthy investigation that the theory of self-defense didn't justify the murder.
Officials with the DA's office said the New York State Police Violent Crimes Investigation Team found Skerrett fired a total of 14 shots from three different weapons, including birdshot from a revolver, a .45 calibre pistol, and a 9mm pistol. The jury agreed that Skerrett was guilty of first-degree murder.
Skerrett is scheduled for sentencing on August 1 at 11 a.m. at the Hamilton County Courthouse. The sentence in New York State for first-degree murder carries a possible sentence of life in prison.
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