By Mark Scott
Buffalo, NY – An Erie County grand jury has indicted two Buffalo men on three counts of first degree murder and other charges in connection with the shooting deaths of four people last month.
Domenick Sutton and Justin Thompson pleaded not guilty at their arraignments Thursday morning. District Attorney Frank Clark said the first degree murder charge is a reflection of the heinous nature of the crime.
"When you have the killing of more than one individual, that qualifies for murder in the first degree," Clark said. "This case fell under that particular section."
But Clark says he won't pursue the death penalty in this case in light of the State Court of Appeals ruling last year invalidating the state's current capital punishment law. Clark says, if convicted, Sutton and Thompson could be sentenced to life without parole.