On a cold Saturday evening in Syracuse, New York, the life of Tyus Ogletree, a 27-year-old Black man, was brought to a violent end in what became the city’s first homicide of 2023. Shortly before midnight on January 7, two individuals forced their way into a residence on Sunset Avenue. A confrontation and scuffle broke out, and during the chaos, Ogletree was shot in the chest.
When Syracuse Police officers arrived at the home, they found Ogletree inside with a gunshot wound. In the street outside, they discovered another man, 24-year-old Vladimir Fernandez, who had been shot in the leg. Both men were rushed to Upstate University Hospital for treatment, but Tyus Ogletree did not survive his injuries.
The investigation by the Criminal Investigations Division took an unexpected turn as detectives began to unravel the events of that night. Fernandez, who was initially found wounded at the scene, was identified as one of the suspects in the fatal home invasion.
After being treated and released from the hospital, Fernandez was arrested by police on January 9, 2023. He was charged with second-degree murder, first-degree burglary, and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
Three days later, on January 12, 2023, the investigation led to a second arrest. A 17-year-old male, Junari Harold, was taken into custody in connection with Ogletree's death. He faced the same charges as Fernandez: second-degree murder, first-degree burglary, and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Despite his age, Harold was to be prosecuted as an adult and was held at the Hillbrook Juvenile Detention Center.
Following a trial, Vladimir Fernandez was convicted of second-degree murder and first-degree burglary for his role in the death of Tyus Ogletree. He was subsequently sentenced for the crimes.
