Cobble Hill Man Faces Life in Prison for Killing Friend in Queens

Queens County Criminal Courthouse. Eagle file photo by Andy Katz.

By Christina Carrega

With friends like these ...

A Queens judge is expected to sentence a Cobble Hill man up to 25 years to life in prison for shooting an acquaintance to death as they walked along a Jamaica street.

Teimel Morris, 25, was convicted of second-degree murder in Queens Supreme Court Thursday after a two-week-long jury trial. The jury determined that Morris killed Edward Harris, 26, on May 6, 2016.

“This was a tragic, senseless act of gun violence that claimed the life of a young man,” said Queens County District Attorney Richard A. Brown. “The defendant showed a total disregard for human life when he shot and killed the victim. Guns have no place in a civilized society and if you use one, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of he law.”

Morris and Harris were walking on Union Hall Street when they got into a heated argument outside of a deli on 160th Street. Prosecutors said the pair were seen on surveillance video continuing to walk together and when they were out of the camera’s video shots were fired.

Harris was shot twice in the head and died five days later.

Witnesses heard the gunfire and saw someone running from the area in a black sweatshirt with white sleeves with a gun in his hand. Morris wore a black sweatshirt with white sleeves that evening, prosecutors said.

Queens Supreme Court Justice Michael Aloise is expected to sentence Morris on March 5.