Chanel Lewis Gets Life Sentence For Queens Jogger Murder: Report

QUEENS, NY — Chanel Lewis was sentenced to life in prison without parole Tuesday for the 2016 murder of Karina Vetrano in Queens, according to reports.

Queens Supreme Court Judge Michael Aloise handed down the life sentence Tuesday following a controversial retrial tainted by accusations that the judge rushed the jury to reach a verdict and that prosecutors withheld evidence from the defense.

The sentencing came one day after the judge rejected allegations of juror misconduct filed by Lewis's Legal Aid attorneys.

A jury earlier this month found the Brooklyn man guilty of murdering Vetrano, 30, while she was out jogging in Spring Creek Park in Howard Beach on Aug. 2, 2016.

Prosecutors had argued that Lewis sexually abused Vetrano and then strangled her to death with enough force to break her teeth. Trial evidence included a DNA analysis that found Lewis' DNA under Vetrano's fingernails, prosecutors said, though the defense argued the crime scene may have been contaminated.

Lewis's family plans to appeal the conviction, according to Redmond Haskins, a spokesman for the Legal Aid Society.

"While there is no denying that Karina Vetrano’s death is tragic and that her family and friends suffered a great loss, every aspect of this case – from the police investigation to jury deliberations – was propelled by a desire to convict at all costs," Haskins said in a statement Tuesday.

"This was done without any concern for Mr. Lewis’s Constitutional rights to due process and a fair trial. We will appeal this case to the Appellate Division to secure Mr. Lewis the justice that he deserves."

The New York State Appellate Division's second judicial department would decide whether the appeal can move forward, Haskins told Patch, although the family could also file in federal court.