The Appellate Court has affirmed felony convictions in three separate Cayuga County cases, according to District Attorney Brittany Grome Antonacci.
The court upheld the conviction of Alissa Reynolds, who pleaded guilty to second-degree robbery for helping plan and carry out the home robbery of an elderly Owasco resident in 2023. Reynolds was sentenced to 3½ years in prison followed by five years of post-release supervision.
In a second case, the court denied a resentencing motion filed by Brenda Newkirk, who was convicted of second-degree murder in 2013 for fatally shooting her boyfriend in Conquest. Newkirk argued for a reduced sentence, citing alleged domestic abuse. The court upheld her original sentence of 21 years to life.
The court also affirmed the convictions of Kevin Ritchie for second-degree murder, second-degree assault, and other charges stemming from a 2013 incident in Auburn. Ritchie was sentenced in 2014 to nearly 30 years to life. His appeal had been delayed multiple times due to changes in legal representation.
Chief Assistant District Attorney Christopher T. Valdina represented the People in all three appeals.
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