Westchester Man Who Stabbed 78-Year-Old Brother-In-Law To Death Gets Maximum Sentence

YONKERS, NY — A judge handed down the maximum sentence in a brutal stabbing in Westchester County.

District Attorney Susan Cacace announced that 55-year-old John Singh, of Yonkers, was sentenced for fatally stabbing his 78-year-old brother-in-law, Bernard Barua, also of Yonkers, in 2024.

Singh was sentenced on Wednesday to 25 years to life in prison for second-degree murder and a concurrent determinate term of 25 years in state prison, followed by five years of post-release supervision, for first-degree manslaughter.

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See Also:

• 53-Year-Old Charged With Fatally Stabbing 78-Year-Old Brother-In-Law
• 55-Year-Old Guilty In Fatal Stabbing Of 78-Year-Old Brother-In-Law In Westchester

Singh was found guilty of both charges following a jury trial in June. During the trial, he testified on his own behalf and claimed self-defense, an argument the jury rejected.

"I am thankful for the strong sentence handed down to Mr. Singh, " Cacace said. "I'd like to commend the Yonkers Police Department, the Westchester County Department of Laboratories and Research, the Westchester County District Attorney's High Tech Unit and our prosecutors for their efforts in delivering justice to the family of Bernard Barua. Our hopes are that this stiff sentence will send a message to all that senseless crimes like this will not be tolerated in Westchester."

On Nov. 16, 2024, around 1:30 p.m., members of the Yonkers Police Department responded to a Bronx River Road apartment after receiving a report of a stabbing, finding Singh and Barua both suffering from stab wounds to the chest. Barua was found unresponsive in a bed, while Singh was near the entrance to the apartment.

Both men were taken to a local hospital, where Singh received treatment and Barua later died from his injuries.

The case was investigated by the Yonkers Police Department. The Westchester County Department of Laboratories and Research and the Westchester County District Attorney's High Tech Unit also assisted in the investigation.