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2 Young Men Found Guilty in DeGennaro Murder Trial

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By

Tom Sofield
Credit: Bucks County Department of Corrections
Credit: Bucks County Department of Corrections

After a five-week-long trial, the verdict of Breon Powell, 22, and Kazair Gist, 19, both Trenton, N.J., were handed down in county court Monday afternoon.

The two were on trial for the shooting death of popular Levittown musician Danny DeGennaro. The popular guitarist was shot to death in December 2011 inside his Bristol Township home in Levittown’s Crabtree section.

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According to the Bucks County District Attorney’s office:

  • Powell was found guilty of first- and second- degree murder. He could be sentenced to the death penalty. The verdict will be followed by a sentencing phase for Powell.
  • Gist was found guilty of first- and second- degree murder. He is not eligible for the death penalty because he was a juvenile when the murder happened He will be sentenced in the coming weeks.

Prosecutors made the case during the 5-week-long trial that Powell fired the shotgun blast to the chest that killed DeGennaro in December 2011. Gist is also accused of shooting a handgun and missing the popular musician.

Bristol Township investigators spent hours on the stand during the course of the trial.

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This tweet describes the reaction inside the courtroom:

https://twitter.com/BucksCourts/status/387294316429070336

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Both young men have been in county jail on $5 million bail since last spring.

During the trial for murder plot mastermind 20-year-old Jermaine Jackson in May, prosecutors made the case that Powell and Gist were directly the men behind the murder of DeGennaro, which began as an attempt to rob DeGennaro for a drug debt inside his Crabtree Drive home in Bristol Township.

Danasia Bakr, 19, and Tatyana Henderson, 19, both of the Morrisville section of Falls Township, testified in spring that one “loud gunshot” and then another was heard. Henderson said that the three young men then ran to the waiting car and were “shaken up” and “acting crazy.” Powell was yelling how he shot “the guy” and Gist said, “I shot him too,” according to statements made by Henderson.

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Trials for Bakr and Henderson, who are cooperating with officials, are forthcoming, but no dates have been set.

Jackson was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison.

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Tom Sofield

Tom Sofield

Tom Sofield has covered news in Bucks County for 16 years for both newspaper and online publications. Tom’s reporting has appeared locally, nationally, and internationally across several mediums. He is proud to report on news in the county where he lives and to have created a reliable publication that the community deserves.