Overview
- A New York State Supreme Court judge imposed the sentence Thursday after a jury convicted Atkinson on October 29, 2025 of two counts of second-degree murder.
- OCME’s advanced testing of 1994 evidence produced a DNA profile in 2022 that matched Atkinson in the state database, leading to his January 2023 arrest.
- Justice Althea Drysdale said Atkinson had not taken responsibility and emphasized the victims’ vulnerability, including the daughter’s significant developmental disability.
- A granddaughter delivered a victim-impact statement describing decades of trauma for the family who remained in the Grant Houses where the killings occurred.
- Prosecutors noted his lengthy criminal history and recounted his post-verdict threats toward jurors and an earlier mistrial tied to his health, while Atkinson claimed he may not live two more years.