A Florida man has been indicted in New York for his involvement in the assassination of his uncle, as a result of the utilization of a public genealogy database. According to Fox News, Rosario Prestigiacomo, 64, was discovered in his Queens residence in 2009 stabbed 16 times and assaulted with a shovel before passing away.
DNA on a fork discarded by his nephew, Anthony Scalici, resulted in his apprehension in February of this year, solving the case.
Queens District Attorney Melidan Katz announced in a press release that the grand jury indicted and arraigned Scalici, 41, on a second-degree murder charge on Thursday. ABC 7 has reported that this will be the first homicide suspect to be identified and apprehended in New York City through the use of the public genealogy database.
District Attorney Melinda Katz stated, “I established a Cold Case Unit to bring closure to grieving families and pursue justice on behalf of victims. The successful partnership between my office and the NYPD Cold Case Squad is exemplified by the perseverance and determination of the investigators in this, and every, cold case.” “Defendants should be unable to evade justice, regardless of the passage of time.”
Scalici could be sentenced to 25 years to life in prison if convicted. He is scheduled to appear in court again in July.