A jury trial of the man charged in New York City with the murder of former Lewiston resident Alpo Martinez got underway Monday. It is scheduled to continue on Wednesday.
Suspect Shakeem Parker, 30, was charged in February 2022 with the murder of the legendary drug kingpin once known as “the mayor of Harlem.”
Alberto “Alpo” Martinez, a notorious crack dealer who acknowledged his role in at least 14 murders in the 1980s, had lived in Lewiston under a federal witness protection program for five years before he was gunned down in Harlem on Halloween in 2021.
Police said Parker, already in jail on a different charge, shot Martinez because he was upset at the reckless way Martinez had been riding motorcycles in the neighborhood.
Parker’s trial is underway with Judge Daniel Conviser in the Criminal Court of the City of New York. He is being represented by a Legal Aid attorney who could not be reached.
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less