A Brooklyn man on Friday was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the execution-style killing of a livery cab driver in East New York.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said Terrence Reece, 32, of Bedford-Stuyvesant, was sentenced by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Eugene Guarino after being convicted of first-degree murder on Jan. 31, following a jury trial.
“The victim in this case was a dedicated son and brother who worked overnight shifts to earn extra money. His life was destroyed when this defendant cruelly and needlessly executed him while trying to rob him," Gonzalez said.
According to the evidence presented at trial, the incident occurred on July 26, 2019, at approximately 3:30am. Reece entered the cab of 29-year-old Noman Saleemi and argued over the fare before forcing him to drive to a remote location near Atlantic Avenue and Williams Avenue in East New York. Once there, he ordered Saleemi out of the car and onto his knees before shooting him once through the cheek. After a brief pause, he shot him again in the back of the head as he lay on the ground.
Reece then stole Saleemi’s wallet, which contained less than $100, and fled in the victim’s vehicle. He later drove to his wife’s residence, where he had her dispose of the murder weapon, prosecutors said.
Authorities recovered Saleemi’s car later that day outside the wife’s residence. Investigators lifted Reece’s DNA and latent fingerprints from the driver’s area of the vehicle. Reece was arrested on Aug. 16, 2019, following further investigation.
