West Chester, Pennsylvania.Quinzell Mickey was convicted by a Chester County jury on Friday of first-degree murder and a firearms charge in connection with the shooting death of 33-year-old William Stafford in 2023.
Prosecutors provided evidence that Mickey shot Stafford dead on April 15, 2023, before escaping the scene, and the verdict came after a week-long trial. Before being arrested, Mickey, according to the authorities, was on the loose for a few months.
According to a news release from the Chester County District Attorney’s Office, the defendant will be sentenced later. A conviction for first-degree murder in Pennsylvania entails a mandatory life term.
Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe, the district attorney, described this murder as violent and senseless. We send our sympathies to the victim’s friends and family.
Investigation led by county detectives
With assistance from the Philadelphia Police Department and the East Vincent Township Police Department, Chester County Detectives spearheaded the investigation. Mickey avoided quick capture after the shooting, which led to a months-long manhunt before his arrest.
The Commonwealth was represented in the case by Assistant District Attorney Kimberly Kaelin and Deputy District Attorney Jessica Yurick.
There is no set date for sentencing. Mickey is still being held for official sentencing proceedings.
