Roommate Beat 74-Year-old To Death With Canes

MOUNT VERNON, NY — A middle-aged Mount Vernon man who brutally beat his roommate to death has been sentenced to 25-years-to-life in state prison.

Clifford Ali, 54, murdered Martin Lisnak, 74, in their Mount Vernon homeNov.21, 2016. Ali was found guilty of Murder in the Second Degree, a class A-1 felony, May 17, following a jury trial before Westchester County Court Judge Barry Warhit,Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr. said.

Vernon Police received a 911 call from Ali, who claimed the victim had been robbed and beaten on the street, was not breathing, and was in his home at 214 S. Fifth Ave.

Officers found Lisnak naked and brutally beaten, lying in a pool of blood in his bed. He had been dead for some period of time.

An autopsy revealed Lisnak had been beaten more than 20 times about his body with multiple canes. Three canes were found in the apartment. The victim died from blunt force trauma as a result of that vicious beating.

Ali testified at trial and maintained his innocence. He claimed a neighbor may have been the perpetrator. The jury rejected the defendant’s claim and found him guilty of Murder in the Second Degree.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Lana Hochheiser, Deputy Chief of the Homicide Bureau, and Assistant District Attorney Jonathan Strongin.