Far Rockaway man gets 25 to life sentence for brutal paint can murder

Eagle photo by David Brand.

By Jonathan Sperling

A Far Rockaway man who bludgeoned a 68-year-old woman with a paint can while fatally beating her son was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison in Queens Criminal Court on Wednesday.

Sahquane Jones, 35, and another man entered Vivian Schemitz’s home in Richmond Hill in August 2016 while she was painting with her son, Kenneth Schemitz, 37. Jones and the other man proceeded to pummel and stab Kenneth with two paint cans, knives, a weed whacker and a lamp, according to prosecutors.

Though she was badly injured, Vivian managed to call 911. Police responded and found Kenneth’s lifeless body behind a door. Vivian sustained numerous facial fractures and a concussion from the attack and was rushed to the hospital, where she stayed for five weeks.

Jones was convicted in October of second-degree murder, first-degree assault, and four counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon before Queens Supreme Court Justice Ira Margulis. The second man who allegedly took part in the murder has not yet been identified or apprehended.

Prosecutors say Jones’ right pinky finger was a match to a fingerprint left in white paint on door molding at the victims’ home.

“The sentence of the court is more than justified as punishment for the heinous actions of this defendant, who entered the victims’ home and used whatever objects he could grab to senselessly kill the male victim and seriously injure the man’s mother,” Acting Queens District Attorney John Ryan said in a statement. “Our hope is that the family receives a measure of solace knowing that this individual will never walk the streets of Queens County again.”