20 to Life for Man Who Strangled Estranged Girlfriend

Nixon Bourguignon, 38, was sentenced Friday to 20 years to life in prison for the killing of his girlfriend, Shannon Coleman.

“Evidence presented at trial showed that the defendant strangled the victim during the protracted break-up of their relationship,” Rockland County District Attorney Thomas P. Zugibe said. “A woman with her whole life ahead of her was senselessly murdered. The defendant will now likely face most, if not all, of the remainder of his life in prison. Hopefully, the victim’s family will find some measure of justice in this verdict.”

On May 7, 2014, at about 10:30 p.m., Bourguignon violently attacked inside the family’s residence at the MountainSide apartment complex in Haverstraw.

The victim had two young sons, who were in the apartment during the attack. Bourguignon is the father of the younger child. The couple had lived together in the second-floor apartment.

He had been convicted of of Murder in the Second Degree a class “A” Felony. Executive Assistant District Attorney Dominic Crispino prosecuted the case.