Woodmere man gets 25 years for 2007 murder

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A little more than six months after pleading guilty to the 2007 killing of Rowan Clarke during an attempted home invasion robbery, Kensil Dexter Fender was sentenced to 25 years in prison in Brooklyn federal court on June 25. Fender previously pleaded guilty on Dec. 14 of last year. 

“More than a decade ago, Fender murdered a man while trying to commit a home invasion drug robbery,” United States Eastern District Attorney Richard Donoghue stated. “With today's sentence, he learns that justice does not forget and does not rest I commend our federal, state and local partners for working together to take this dangerous criminal off the street.” 

According to court filings and statements made in court, on April 2, 2007, Fender, 36, of Woodmere, who is also known as "English," and a co-conspirator attempted to rob Clarke, who they believed had illegal drugs and drug proceeds at his apartment in northern Manhattan.

As Fender and his co-conspirator attempted to push their way into the apartment, they struggled with Clarke and fatally shot him. Law enforcement agents were able to identify Fender based on DNA on a piece of jewelry left behind at the murder scene. In addition to his role in the murder, Fender was a drug distributor, buying and selling large amounts of marijuana

“This drug investigation demonstrates the inevitable link between drug trafficking and violent crime," stated Drug enforcement Agency Special Agent-in-Charge James Hunt. “In most of our cases, greed is the underlying force behind drug trafficking, and it is ironic that a piece of jewelry and DNA were key factors in bringing Rowan Clarke's killer to justice.”

Upon completion of his sentence, Fender, an illegal alien from Jamaica, faces deportation from the U. S..

“Today's sentencing has been a long time in coming and is an appropriate, meaningful penalty for this career criminal,” NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill stated. “In partnership with the DEA and the Eastern District, the NYPD has a long memory and an even longer reach. I commend everyone involved in this case for seeing it through to its successful conclusion.”

Donoghue also expressed his thanks to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for its assistance during the investigation.

“Good police work and invaluable partnerships at the federal, state and local level were key in bringing this murderer to justice," stated New York State Police Superintendent George Beach. “State Police and our partners will continue to work together to keep our communities safe from such criminals and the dangerous drug activity and violence that they perpetuate.”