1980 Double Murderer Just Starting to Serve Double Life Sentence

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — Convicted double murderer Belton Lee Brims has been returned to New York State custody, Sheriff Louis Falco announced. He has begun serving two terms of 25 years to life for the 1980 murders of Arnold and Elain Sohn of Monsey.

The murders were masterminded by the couple's daughter, Sheryl Sohn. She was paroled in 2008 after serving a 28-year sentence.

Brims is also known for his July 6, 1981 escape from the old Rockland County Jail while awaiting trial for the Sohn murders. Brims was located about three weeks later in Selma, Alabama and was returned to custody.

Brims, 62, recently completed a New Jersey State prison sentence of nearly 36 years for armed robbery. On Friday, the NJ State Department of Corrections turned over custody of Brims to Rockland County Sheriff’s Office detectives.

Brims was transported back to the Rockland County Correctional facility without incident awaiting transfer to the New York State Department of Corrections. On Monday Rockland County Sheriff’s Office detectives again transported Brims without incident to the New York Downstate Correctional facility where he will begin serving his double murder sentence.

Arnold and Elaine Sohn were killed in December 1980 in their home at Sheryl Sohn's behest by Brims and his accomplice James Sheffield, during a robbery. Sheffield remains in prison.