DA Hoovler Announces Charges in Connection
with Homicide of Child

Middletown Man Charged by Grand Jury with Murder in the Second Degree

At a press conference at the Town of Wallkill Police Department, Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler, Chief Robert Hertman of the Town of Wallkill Police Department, members of the New York State Police and other law enforcement officials announced that on Friday, December 23, 2022, Gionni Sellers, age 23, of Middletown, was indicted by the Orange County grand jury and charged with the crimes of Murder in the Second Degree and Manslaughter in the First Degree, for recklessly engaging in conduct which created a grave risk of death to a three year old boy, under circumstances evincing a depraved indifference to human life, and thereby caused the death of the child. Sellers was arraigned in Orange County Court on December 27, 2022 and remanded to the Orange County Jail in lieu of $750,000.00 cash bail, $5,000,000.00 secured bond, or $5,000,000.00 partially secured bond. Sellers is next scheduled to appear in court on January 4, 2023. Sellers faces a maximum sentence of twenty-five (25) years to life upon a conviction to the top count of the indictment.
It is alleged that for a period of time in May and June of 2022, Sellers was responsible for watching the three-year-old son of his girlfriend. In the days leading up to the child’s death, Sellers inflicted blunt force trauma about the child’s head and torso. The devastating injuries caused grievous harm throughout the child’s body, including severe trauma to the child’s brain, which ultimately caused his death.
An investigation conducted by the Town of Wallkill Police Department, assisted by the New York State Police, the Hudson Valley Crime Analysis Center and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office resulted in Sellers’s arrest on December 16, 2022. The case was presented to an Orange County grand jury which charged Sellers with crimes including Murder in the Second Degree.
District Attorney Hoovler thanked all the law enforcement agencies involved for the investigation which led to the arrest of Sellers.
“As alleged, this defendant’s depraved and wicked actions caused the senseless death of a vulnerable child,” said District Attorney David M. Hoovler. “My Office, together with our law enforcement partners, will pursue justice for the victim in this case and thereby give voice to the voiceless. I thank the police agencies involved in this case for their diligent efforts through a challenging investigation.”
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Tanja Beemer and Executive Assistant District Attorney Leah Canton.
This criminal charge is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of the criminal law, and it is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the State of New York’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.