Inmate Gets Life for Killing Prisoner Before Release

Bruce Duette, a 45-year-old inmate at Bayside State Prison, has been sentenced to life in prison for the first-degree murder of 41-year-old Martin Sanchez, who was beaten and strangled on November 21, 2022, one day before his scheduled release. Duette was already serving sentences for aggravated manslaughter, conspiracy to commit murder, and a prior aggravated assault involving the stabbing of another inmate. His life sentence will begin after he completes his current terms in 2030. Investigators tied Duette to the crime through DNA evidence and eyewitness accounts from other inmates. Sanchez had been serving a five-year sentence for theft and was preparing to reunite with his family. Duette will not be eligible for parole until he has served at least 85% of his life sentence, which could be as late as 2094.