Cameron Turner Photo
NORWICH – “He's not a man, he's not an animal, he's an evil thing among us.” These were the strong words from a murder victim's father when portraying the 57-year-old convicted killer of his son.
John M. Guzy, the man convicted of the 'road rage' killing of Derek D. Prindle, as well as the attempted murder of Derek S. Prindle, was sentenced to serve 40 years to life on the top two charges he was facing; Murder in the second degree, a class A-1 felony; and attempted murder in the second degree, a class B felony; in the Chenango County Courthouse yesterday, June 27.
The sentencing culminates an almost two-year long ordeal for the victim's family that began on Oct. 27, 2014, at approximately 1:25 p.m., in the parking lot of a local business in the Town of Bainbridge. There, authorities say that Guzy, a former New York City Police Officer and part-time corrections officer, killed Derek D. Prindle by shooting him in the chest with a .25 caliber Beretta Jetfire semi-automatic handgun, causing a lacerated aorta, after a road rage incident. Guzy also caused serious physical injury to Derek D. Prindle, the victims father, by shooting him in his abdomen with the same gun. Guzy was allegedly under the influence of alcohol during the incident, as he was recorded as having a .11 blood alcohol content level after investigation into the incident.
During the sentencing, members of the victim's family were provided with an opportunity to speak about their loss, how the incident has impacted their lives, and what sentence they believed the defendant should be condemned to.
The victim's mother, Joyce Prindle, choked back tears while she offered poignant words about her son's life and what the convicted killer had taken away from her and the world, “This is the worst pain a mother could have to endure,” she said. “How could the perpetrator take away something so cherished? He (Derek) held dreams and aspirations for his future. There was so much to look forward to. My son didn't deserve to die. I miss his smile, I miss his voice, I miss his fun ways. I love him deeply.”
