Detrich Emanuel, 31, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison with an additional five years of post-release supervision. This follows his guilty plea in August 2024 to Manslaughter in the First Degree for the fatal shooting of Kristine Costantino on New Year’s Eve in 2023. Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced the sentencing.
"Detrich Emanuel is a danger to the community in the truest sense of the word," stated District Attorney Tierney. "Already a convicted felon, he sought to settle an argument by pulling out a gun and ending the life of Kristine Costantino. It is important that the system recognizes the lasting impact violent crime has on our communities. I commend the outstanding work conducted by the Suffolk County Police Department investigators and the prosecution team for bringing this defendant to justice."
Court documents reveal that on December 31, 2023, at approximately 11:24 a.m., Emanuel was involved in a verbal altercation with Costantino at her apartment in Middle Island. The confrontation escalated when Emanuel drew a firearm and shot Costantino in her chest. After calling 911, Emanuel fled before authorities arrived.
When police reached the scene, Costantino repeatedly mentioned Emanuel's name before she was pronounced dead at Stony Brook University Hospital. On January 14, 2024, law enforcement apprehended Emanuel in the Bronx.
Previously, Emanuel had been convicted of Attempted Burglary in Queens County back in July 2018.
Emanuel pleaded guilty on August 20, 2024, before Supreme Court Justice John B. Collins who later handed down his sentence on October 18, 2024. Matthew Tuohy represented him legally.
Assistant District Attorney Sheetal Shetty from the Homicide Bureau prosecuted this case while Detective James Hughes from Suffolk County Police Department’s Homicide Squad led its investigation.