Jail For 2 Greenburgh Men Related To Shooting Death

GREENBURGH, NY — Two Greenburgh men were sentenced on charges related to the shooting death of another Greenburgh man. Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino Jr. said Vance Major and Timothy Whitney were sentenced on charges of robbery and hindering prosecution in the Aug. 17, 2017 shooting of Joseph Smith III.

A third man, Trevon Major, is serving 15 years in prison for manslaughter in Smith’s death.

Whitney, 18, will serve two to four years in state prison for third-degree robbery and one-and-a-half to three years for hindering prosecution, both felonies. The sentences will be served concurrently.

Vance Major, 19, will serve one year in Westchester County Jail for third-degree robbery and one year for hindering prosecution, with the sentences running consecutively.

Scarpino said about 7:30 p.m Aug. 27, 2017, in the parking lot of an apartment building on Manhattan Avenue in the Town of Greenburgh, Trevon Major, his brother Vance Major and Timothy Whitney robbed the son of Smith's fiancé.

Soon afterward, in the vestibule area of the building, the robbery victim argued with Vance Major and Whitney about getting his property back, and Trevon Major came downstairs and threatened him with a gun.

The robbery victim's mother came from her nearby apartment and pleaded with Trevon Major to not shoot her son.

The son left and returned to his home in a neighboring building.

Moments later, Smith went to the apartment of Trevon and Vance Major and knocked on the door.

The brothers and Whitney were all inside, police said.

Trevon Major answered the door with a gun in his hand and shot Smith one time in the chest as Smith stood in the hallway, according to authorities.

A neighbor who heard the gunshot called the police.

Greenburgh police responded and saw a blood trail from the hallway outside the Majors's doorway to a nearby stairwell where they found Smith lying on the floor.

He was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The Major brothers and Whitney remained inside the apartment until the police entered with a search warrant. Police said they found the gun that was used to kill Smith broken into three pieces hidden around the apartment.

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