2 Former Sing Sing Inmates Charged In Cold Case Murder

WHITE PLAINS, NY — Two men who were incarcerated almost 30 years ago at Sing Sing Correctional Facility in Ossining were indicted for the Dec. 24, 1995 murder of fellow inmate Michael Jones, Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah and New York State Police Acting Superintendent Steven A. Nigrelli announced Tuesday.

A Westchester County Grand Jury indicted Steven Smith, 60, of Salisbury, North Carolina, for two counts of first-degree murder and second-degree murder, both felonies; and Allah-Son-Allah, 53, of Albany, for second-degree murder.

Their arrests were the result of a decades-long investigation — initiated in 1995 and reinvigorated in 2019 — by the New York State Police and the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office.

"After 27 years, we have secured an indictment for the murder of Michael Jones, thanks to the phenomenal investigative work by the New York State Police, who never gave up on this case, and the hard work of our Cold Case and Homicide Bureaus," Rocah said. "My Office is committed to working closely with our law enforcement partners to solve the more than 100 open homicide cases in Westchester County."

After years of traveling to multiple states to interview several witnesses who were incarcerated at Sing Sing, the investigation uncovered that the two men and the victim were alleged to have been members of The Five-Percent Nation, also known as The Nation of Gods and Earths. Prosecutors alleged that on Dec. 24, 1995, as a result of a feud within the organization and at Smith’s direction, Allah-Son-Allah used a buck knife to stab Jones in the chest, puncturing his heart, causing him to bleed to death.

The New York State Police and the Cold Case and Homicide Bureaus of the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office located the two men and, with the assistance of the Albany Police Department and Salisbury Police Department, arrested Smith on May 11, and Allah-Son-Allah on May 16.

"I commend the work of our State Police investigators, the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office and all our law enforcement partners for their tenacity and long-term commitment to solving this cold case," Nigrelli said. "It is because of their extraordinary work and dedication that these two men are finally being brought to justice. This case is evidence that we will not stop fighting for those victims who have no voice, and we pledge to continue working alongside all of our law enforcement partners to ensure that justice is served."

Allah-Son-Allah was arraigned before Judge Maurice Williams in Westchester County Court on May 16, and Smith was arraigned before Judge Robert Neary on June 2. Both were ordered held in jail.

The case is before Judge Robert Prisco in Westchester County Court, and is being prosecuted by Cold Case Bureau Chief Daniel Flecha and Homicide Bureau Senior Trial Counsel Brian Bendish, both of the Trials and Investigations Division.