Life In Prison For Man Who Stabbed, Beat Woman To Death

A Mount Vernon man has been sentenced to life in prison, without a chance of parole, for the slaying of a Mount Vernon woman during a 2009 burglary.

Kasem Cunningham, 26, of Mount Vernon, stabbed 30-year-old Denisha McDuffy 65 times and fractured her skull with a blow to the head during the 11:13 a.m. Nov. 16, 2009, break in at McDuffy’s Grove Street apartment. Cunningham pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, second-degree murder and first-degree burglary.

“The deliberate, intentional and brutal actions of this defendant began as a burglary and ended with the senseless and tragic death of an innocent young woman,” Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore said. “Now this man will, rightfully, spend the rest of his life in prison. Excellent police work, analysis of the forensic evidence by the lab and the work of the assistant district attorneys assigned to this case brought this defendant to justice. He will now serve the maximum sentence which hopefully will provide a measure of comfort to the victim’s family.”

After the killing, Cunningham fled the apartment using a fire escape. He was arrested by Mount Vernon police within 24 hours of the attack.

DiFiore said evidence gathered from the murder scene by the Westchester County Police Department’s Forensic Investigation Unit and analyzed by the Westchester County Department of Labs and Research found Cunningham’s blood in the apartment and on the fire escape. Also, the victim’s blood was found on clothing belonging to the Cunningham.

Second Deputy District Attorney Patricia Murphy, chief of the Superior Court Trial Division, and Assistant District Attorney Kerrie Williams of the Homicide Bureau prosecuted the case.