Damante Stansberry Sentenced to 18 Years to Life in Prison

Stansberry Previously Pled Guilty to Murder in the Second Degree for Killing a Wallkill Man

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that on Friday, July 19, 2024, Damante Stansberry, age 24, of Wallkill, was sentenced to eighteen (18) years to life in prison after previously pleading guilty to Murder in the Second Degree in the Orange County Court.  At sentencing, the People recommended that Stansberry be sentenced to twenty (20) years to life in prison for his role in the homicide.

As alleged at the trial of Enoch Lowe and in statements made and documents filed in court, Lowe hired Damante Stansberry to kill Lowe’s neighbor, with whom Lowe had long-standing animosity.  At the trial prosecutors argued that Lowe promised Stansberry $15,000 to commit the murder and acted as a lookout, informing Stansberry as to when the victim was alone, outside, and vulnerable to being attacked. On October 30, 2022, at approximately 5:00 PM, Stansberry arrived at the residence of his 53-year-old victim and repeatedly stabbed the man, who was repairing a fence in the backyard of the residence.  Evidence at the trial established that Lowe sent text messages to Stansberry immediately before Stansberry left to commit the murder and had spoken to Stansberry using a cellular telephone as soon as Stansberry returned from committing the Murder.  On March 30, 2023, Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler represented the People in County Court when Stansberry pled guilty to Murder in the Second Degree in connection with the death of the man.

An investigation conducted by the Town of Wallkill Police Department, assisted by the New York State Police, the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Hudson Valley Crime Analysis Center, the United States Secret Service and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office resulted in Lowe’s arrest on October 10, 2023.  The case was presented to an Orange County Grand Jury which charged Lowe with the crimes including Murder in the First Degree and Conspiracy in the Second Degree.  It was alleged that Lowe agreed to pay Stansberry $15,000 to kill the man and acted as look-out, texting Stansberry to signal that the victim was outside of his home, alone, and vulnerable to an attack. 

District Attorney Hoovler thanked the Town of Wallkill Police Department, and all the law enforcement agencies involved in the arrest and investigation of Lowe and Stansberry.

“By the significant sentence imposed today, both individuals involved in the senseless killing of a member of our community have now been held responsible,” said District Attorney David M. Hoovler. “I commend the hard work of the Town of Wallkill Police Department, all the agencies that aided them, as well as the skilled prosecutors who handled the case.  My Office remains committed to the relentless pursuit of violent criminals and we will hold them to account for their actions.” 

District Attorney Hoovler highly commended Chief Assistant District Attorney Christopher Borek and Assistant District Attorney Bryan Conway who prosecuted the case.

This criminal charge is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of the criminal law, and it is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the State of New York’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.