Saunders Gets 25 Years to Life for White Plains Murder
Michael Saunders, the Westchester County bus driver who was convicted in the shooting death of White Plains resident Sabrina Durrah and the abandonment of his four month old daughter, was sentenced Tuesday, receiving the maximum 25 years to life on the murder count and the maximum two and one-third to seven years on the reckless endangerment conviction. The sentences will be served consecutively.
On March 21, 2012 the defendant entered the apartment of Sabrina Durrah at 312 Main Street, in White Plains, after learning that the victim had intended on filing papers in court for child support, regarding the 4-½ month old baby girl that they had in common.
The exchange ended with the victim shot twice, once in the back of the head as she held her baby.
The defendant also left the victim’s infant alone and unsupervised in the apartment, lying next to her murdered mother. The infant was discovered by relatives on March 24, 2012.
White Plains Police were contacted, responded to the building and initiated an investigation. A neighbor reported hearing two gunshots and a baby crying between approximately 8 p.m. and 9p.m. on Wednesday, March 21, 2012.
Further investigation revealed surveillance cameras in various locations in and around the victim’s apartment building showing the defendant outside the victim’s building, wearing a long sleeved hooded sweatshirt and gloves – despite the warm weather – as well as a hockey style mask on top of his head.
When the defendant left the building the hockey mask now covered his face.
The defendant was arrested by White Plains police at his place of employment on March 26, 2012.
Second Deputy District Attorney Patricia Murphy, Chief of the Superior Court Trial Division and Assistant District Attorney Wendy Parra, of the Superior Court Trial Division, prosecuted the case.
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.
