Victim identifies shooter in Oneida Street murder

Tools

Victim identifies shooter in Oneida Street murder

By JOLEEN FERRIS

UTICA, N.Y. (WKTV) - Omar Thompson is accused of shooting two people at an Oneida Street home in Utica on Saturday. One died, and the survivor cried on the witness stand Friday as she identified Thompson as the man who pulled the trigger.

Traumatized shooting survivor Jeanie O'Brien cried on the witness stand as she identified Thompson as the man who shot her in the shoulder, and shot and killed her friend, Mark Dukett, at her Oneida Street apartment on Saturday.

O'Brien said the shooting followed a morning spent trying to obtain some crack for Dukett. She said Thompson pulled a gun, demanding the money she and Dukett were going to use to buy drugs from him.

She said the two men struggled, and that Thompson shot Dukett, who then fell on her. O'Brien says Thompson tripped over Dukett's body as he shot at her.

She believes he otherwise would have shot her in the head, killing her.

The prosecutor is satisfied that O'Brien adequately identified defendant Thompson as the man who shot her and her friend.

"From the testimony, it seems clear that she had multiple extended opportunities to see the defendant at various times throughout this event so she's very certain of her identification," said Michael Coluzza, first assistant district attorney.

But the defense attorney isn't so sure and thinks that, at trial, time could be on his side.

A police officer on the stand today said he came upon a bleeding, hysterical Jeanie O'Brien on the porch of 1527 Oneida Street at 1:15 p.m. Saturday afternoon.

Thompson's cousin says she saw him at her mother's house between 1:20 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.

"But I have people that are going to able to say I was with him at different points during that period of time at places that are far removed from where the crimes took place," said Mark Curley, defense attorney.

The judge found there was enough evidence to hold the case over to a grand jury for possible indictment, or formal charge - which is what legally binds a defendant to stand trial for a crime.

The prosecution has 45 days to get the case in front of a grand jury.

View comments

The following comments do not necessarily represent the views of NBC-WKTV News Channel 2. Users have agreed to these terms and in doing so accept full responsibility for their comments. Moderation is limited.

Tuesday, Sep 23 at 1:27 PM get the facts right wrote ...

the story sounds a little off hand i think it might take a little bit more time to uncover the real facts to it and yes there is two different stories to it maybe he is innocent they need to get more facts!!!!!!!

Flag for moderation

Thursday, Sep 11 at 1:46 PM A TURN AROUND FOR UTICA ONCE AGAIN wrote ...

YOU MIGHT REALLY WANNA LOOK SOMEWHERES ELSE FOR THE PERSON WHO DID IT BECAUSE OMAR DIDNT DO IT....YOU KNOW THE STREETS TALK !!

Flag for moderation

Monday, Sep 8 at 12:25 AM forget moving wrote ...

katdel.... i moved from utica to florida ...... crime rate in jacksonville is 10 times that of utica ... crime is everywhere not just utica ... people think it is better elsewhere but it is not ... moving is not the answer ... lets quit whinning and blaming the utica police and help clean this city up and make it what it once was ....

Flag for moderation

Sunday, Sep 7 at 8:58 PM katdel wrote ...

I used to live in the house where that person got shot. That is the exact reason I left Utica and moved elsewhere.

Flag for moderation

Sunday, Sep 7 at 8:55 AM clean in cedarville wrote ...

take it from someone who knows...crack kills! First, it wants everything we have...our money, personal belongings,self respect, then it wants everything we love...our self esteem, our children, our marriages and then it sits...waiting...for the opportunity to take our lives. One way or another, it WILL win...it'll succeed at getting everything we have and care about and then it kills. This is the bottom line. PEOPLE...and you are people, GET OFF OF THE DRUGS!!! WAKE UP AND GET HELP!

Flag for moderation

Saturday, Sep 6 at 11:24 PM innocent ??? wrote ...

how can you think he is innocent ??? the lady identified him ....... i dont think i would forget who shot and killed my friend and shot me crackhead or not ....plus other people identified him as the person seen runing from the sene .. anyway i think she should be charged for buying(or trying to buy) the crack along with him for murder and attempted murder ...

Flag for moderation

Saturday, Sep 6 at 6:24 PM 555 wrote ...

maybe he did shoot them, maybe not, but o'brien needs some better coaching. her story is crazy. lets see if they find the gun. good for the kid turning himself in. I nerver had the thought of shooting someone but if i did. I would never turn myself in.

Flag for moderation

Saturday, Sep 6 at 7:00 AM a crackheads point of view wrote ...

In the photo above of the accused. he looks like hes hiding something that would have all the charges dropped against him. I believe he wants the true to come out without allowing anyone to go to jail for the crime. He's scared because when you tell you are consider a snitch and these days they say snitches gets stitches you got the wrong guy and o'brien's story don't make sense. im a crackhead and i know dealers dont return money and plus he didnt like her area so why would you go rob they

Flag for moderation

Friday, Sep 5 at 11:12 PM COME ON PEOPLE wrote ...

COME ON DO YOU THINK A DRUG DEAL IS GONNA RETURN MONEY TO SOME CRACKHEADS. THIS AINT NO MCDONALDS "WE LOVE TO SEE YOU SMILE" OR BURGER KING "YOUR WAY RIGHT AWAY" BUT ANYWAYS THIS OMAR KID IS INNOCENT THERES NO REAL MEANING TO THIS STORY ANYWAYS..IS JUST DONT MAKE ANY SENCE.

Flag for moderation

Friday, Sep 5 at 10:50 PM O M G !!! wrote ...

omg .... all i hear is complaint after complaint about the coverage here and how the od is so much better ....... if the od coverage is so much better why are you here complaining ...... go there and read it .....

Flag for moderation

Friday, Sep 5 at 8:38 PM Crazy wrote ...

Hello?? The media is calling this lady a victim...she was trying to buy crack! They put themselves in this situation and I have no remorse for her because guaranteed she will be out hitting the crackpipe in the future. Drug dealers DO NOT return money on fake drugs, the drug dealer didn't like the neighborhood...this kid is innocent and this lady is crazy. I agree with the person above...this story makes no sense!

Flag for moderation

Friday, Sep 5 at 7:40 PM U gots da wrong dude wrote ...

Even after a victim ID's this guy he still claims it aint him. What more do you need? Maybe a cideo, dna, a young priest and an old priest?

Flag for moderation

Friday, Sep 5 at 7:12 PM The story doesn't make sense wrote ...

Dukett and O'Brien r looking to score crack. They ran into a stranger who they buy crack from, it is not crack. They confront drug dealer (whom they don't really know) and they get their money back? What a return policy!!! The drug dealer promises to actually get them crack later that day? The crack dealer doesn't want to go to O'Brien's house b/c he doesn't like the neighborhood? What? The dealer is wearing a winter jacket with the hood up (could he really be identified)?

Flag for moderation

Friday, Sep 5 at 6:11 PM huh?? wrote ...

I just went and read on the Utica Od and they have nore on this story and it dont say this Thompson tripped over Dukett's body as he shot at her. She believes he otherwise would have shot her in the head, killing her. WKTV you need to get the story better .... this is all we hear anymore in Utica people killing each other over stupid drugs I am scard to even send my kids to school anymore around here....

Flag for moderation

Add a comment

Name:

Comment: 500 Characters Left

Comments are moderated and will not appear on this story until after they have been reviewed and deemed appropriate for posting.

NBC-WKTV News Channel 2 and its affiliated companies are not responsible for the content of comments posted or for anything arising out of use of the above comments or other interaction among the users. We reserve the right to screen, refuse to post, remove or edit user-generated content at any time and for any or no reason in our absolute and sole discretion without prior notice, although we have no duty to do so or to monitor any Public Forum.

I have read and agree to the terms

Hide comments

Weather On Demand

Weather Radar
Icon
Current Temp 40 °F
Overcast
Wind : From the West at 14 Gusting to 21 MPH
Humidity : 79 %
Pressure : 30.01" (1016.5 mb) in.
Wind Chill : 32 °F
More Weather

On Demand

AP Video

Stock Quotes

Permanent Client link holder

This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.

Viewer Poll

Who do you feel should replace Hillary Clinton as a U.S. Senator?

  • Attorney General Andrew Cuomo
  • U.S. Representative Kirsten Gillibrand
  • U.S. Representative Nydia Velazquez
  • Someone else you feel is more qualified

What's On