Quay Sean Hines, of Bay Shore, sentenced to 40 years to to life for fatally shooting Amelia Laguerre in 2022
A Bay Shore man convicted in the 2022 fatal shooting of his former fiancee at the New Hyde Park medical office where she worked was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison on Friday in Mineola.
Quay Sean Hines, 33, did not appear to express remorse for the death of Amelia Laguerre or acknowledge the two dozen relatives and friends of his former fiancee who watched acting State Supreme Court Justice Robert Bogle sentence him in Nassau County Court.
"Sean, you were supposed to love Amelia, but instead you took her life," Laguerre’s mother, Emily Bennett of Queens, told the defendant while delivering a victim impact statement.
A Nassau County jury convicted Hines — after deliberating for less than two hours — of second-degree murder and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon on Sept. 26.
"He gunned her down because of his selfishness and his ego. And for that horrific brutality, this defendant should spend the rest of his life in prison," Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said.
Authorities said Hines fatally shot Laguerre 10 times in the parking garage of Northwell Health, where she had worked for a decade. The 33-year-old was the mother of a young son.
Hines’ attorneys, Scott Gross and Gregory Zak, did not return calls for comment. Zak asked Bogle for lenience, saying that Hines had not been in trouble before and that he had the support of his family. About a dozen of Hines’ relatives and friends also attended Friday’s sentencing.
Hines did not address the court or look at Laguerre’s family and friends, many of whom wore T-shirts with Laguerre’s photo on the front. He did wave to his supporters as he was led out of the courtroom by court officers following sentencing.
"I’m just going to pray for him," Bennett said after Friday’s hearing. "I have no words for him and his family."
Bogle sentenced Hines to 25 years to life in prison for the fatal shooting of his on-again, off-again fiancee. The judge also sentenced Hines to 15 years for each of the weapons charges and ordered that the sentences run consecutively, not concurrently.
Before handing down the sentence, Bogle showed Hines a photo of Laguerre’s now 8-years-old son, Mason, and said he stole her from the boy and other family members.
"A heart never heals, and that is what we have here today," Bogle said before condemning Hines’ and his "cold-blooded acts."
Nassau police said immediately after the slaying that Hines had been abusive toward his former fiancee. He had broken into her apartment, they said, and burned her clothes. Hines had also stalked Laguerre at her workplace in New Hyde Park.
Hines and Laguerre had a "toxic, abusive" off-and-on relationship before Laguerre decided to end it for good, Nassau prosecutor Michelle Lewisohn told Bogle before the judge imposed the sentence.
"This defendant," Lewisohn said, "would not and could not let Amelia go."
Authorities said Hines entered the underground garage of Northwell Health’s Marcus Avenue office in the late afternoon of March 31, 2022 with a loaded firearm and shot Laguerre repeatedly before fleeing the scene. Nassau police responded to a call of shots fired, and Laguerre was transported to North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, where she was pronounced dead about 40 minutes later.
Bennett and other relatives described Laguerre as a bright, caring young woman who was deeply committed to her son. "She was fun, she was a party girl, just like I am," said Laguerre’s aunt, Cindy Davis of Queens.
"Amelia was always about give, give, give, without hesitation, she never asked or expected anyone to give back," her friend Diego Weller-Pagan said in a victim impact statement read by Lewisohn. "Even when her glass was half empty, she’d split what was left to those she cared about in need."
Laguerre’s infectious smile, Weller-Pagan added, was "snuffed out by the actions of a coward who just simply couldn’t move on."
A Bay Shore man convicted in the 2022 fatal shooting of his former fiancee at the New Hyde Park medical office where she worked was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison on Friday in Mineola.
Quay Sean Hines, 33, did not appear to express remorse for the death of Amelia Laguerre or acknowledge the two dozen relatives and friends of his former fiancee who watched acting State Supreme Court Justice Robert Bogle sentence him in Nassau County Court.
"Sean, you were supposed to love Amelia, but instead you took her life," Laguerre’s mother, Emily Bennett of Queens, told the defendant while delivering a victim impact statement.
A Nassau County jury convicted Hines — after deliberating for less than two hours — of second-degree murder and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon on Sept. 26.
WHAT NEWSDAY FOUND
- A Bay Shore man convicted in the 2022 fatal shooting of his former fiancee at the New Hyde Park medical office where she worked was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison on Friday in Mineola.
- Quay Sean Hines did not express remorse for the death of Amelia Laguerre or acknowledge the two dozen relatives and friends of his former fiancee.
- Authorities said Hines fatally shot Laguerre 10 times in the parking garage of the Northwell Health where she had worked.
"He gunned her down because of his selfishness and his ego. And for that horrific brutality, this defendant should spend the rest of his life in prison," Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly said.
Authorities said Hines fatally shot Laguerre 10 times in the parking garage of Northwell Health, where she had worked for a decade. The 33-year-old was the mother of a young son.
Hines’ attorneys, Scott Gross and Gregory Zak, did not return calls for comment. Zak asked Bogle for lenience, saying that Hines had not been in trouble before and that he had the support of his family. About a dozen of Hines’ relatives and friends also attended Friday’s sentencing.
Hines did not address the court or look at Laguerre’s family and friends, many of whom wore T-shirts with Laguerre’s photo on the front. He did wave to his supporters as he was led out of the courtroom by court officers following sentencing.
"I’m just going to pray for him," Bennett said after Friday’s hearing. "I have no words for him and his family."
Bogle sentenced Hines to 25 years to life in prison for the fatal shooting of his on-again, off-again fiancee. The judge also sentenced Hines to 15 years for each of the weapons charges and ordered that the sentences run consecutively, not concurrently.
Before handing down the sentence, Bogle showed Hines a photo of Laguerre’s now 8-years-old son, Mason, and said he stole her from the boy and other family members.
"A heart never heals, and that is what we have here today," Bogle said before condemning Hines’ and his "cold-blooded acts."
Nassau police said immediately after the slaying that Hines had been abusive toward his former fiancee. He had broken into her apartment, they said, and burned her clothes. Hines had also stalked Laguerre at her workplace in New Hyde Park.
Hines and Laguerre had a "toxic, abusive" off-and-on relationship before Laguerre decided to end it for good, Nassau prosecutor Michelle Lewisohn told Bogle before the judge imposed the sentence.
"This defendant," Lewisohn said, "would not and could not let Amelia go."
Authorities said Hines entered the underground garage of Northwell Health’s Marcus Avenue office in the late afternoon of March 31, 2022 with a loaded firearm and shot Laguerre repeatedly before fleeing the scene. Nassau police responded to a call of shots fired, and Laguerre was transported to North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, where she was pronounced dead about 40 minutes later.
Bennett and other relatives described Laguerre as a bright, caring young woman who was deeply committed to her son. "She was fun, she was a party girl, just like I am," said Laguerre’s aunt, Cindy Davis of Queens.
"Amelia was always about give, give, give, without hesitation, she never asked or expected anyone to give back," her friend Diego Weller-Pagan said in a victim impact statement read by Lewisohn. "Even when her glass was half empty, she’d split what was left to those she cared about in need."
Laguerre’s infectious smile, Weller-Pagan added, was "snuffed out by the actions of a coward who just simply couldn’t move on."
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