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A Schenectady man, Jeffrey Bashaw, has been sentenced to 52 years to life in prison for his role in the 2023 murder of Leroy Chisom. The sentencing took place on Wednesday (January 14), with Judge Lorraine Diamond imposing the maximum sentence due to Bashaw's history as a persistent violent felony offender. Bashaw, 56, was convicted in August 2025 of murder in the second degree, multiple counts of criminal possession of a weapon, and tampering with physical evidence.
The crime occurred on October 22, 2023, when Bashaw and his co-defendant, Kevin Dingle, shot Chisom multiple times at a boarding house on State Street in Schenectady. The murder was reportedly motivated by a non-fatal shooting that took place two weeks earlier at the same location. Although Chisom was not the shooter in the earlier incident, he was allegedly targeted due to associations.
Surveillance footage and forensic evidence, including DNA and ballistic analysis, linked Bashaw and Dingle to the crime. Both men were identified through surveillance and arrested on the day of the murder. Dingle accepted a plea deal in August 2024 and was sentenced to 20 years to life in October 2024.
District Attorney Robert M. Carney stated, "Unlike his co-defendant who admitted his own culpability for this murder, Mr. Bashaw wanted a trial, as is his right. He got that trial and heard the mountain of evidence against him." Carney emphasized that the sentence reflects Bashaw's participation in the crime and his long history of violent offenses.
The case highlights the use of surveillance and forensic technology in solving violent crimes and underscores the severe penalties for repeat offenders.