A serial predator will more than likely by no means stroll free once more after receiving what quantities to an efficient life sentence this week for sexually assaulting and strangling an 81-year-old girl in her Manhattan condominium two years in the past, the Manhattan District Legal professional’s Workplace introduced Thursday.
Repeat offender Avon Lengthy, 79, was slapped with 32 years to life after being discovered responsible of kidnapping, tried rape, sexual abuse, strangulation and different expenses by a New York State Supreme Court docket jury in Could for his heinous assault on the aged sufferer in early October 2023.
Lengthy pushed his approach into the sufferer’s condominium in an older grownup heart in Midtown, slapped her repeatedly and ordered her to undress and lie down on the mattress, then climbed on high of her and sexually assaulted her for over an hour whereas protecting her mouth together with his hand to stifle her screams, based on court docket paperwork.
After sexually abusing and assaulting her, Lengthy tied her wrists with a cellphone charger wire and warned her to not name the police or attempt to escape till he had time to get away. He left the condominium briefly however returned and strangled her till she handed out, prosecutors mentioned at trial.
When the girl awoke, she disregarded Lengthy’s warning and instantly referred to as the police, who arrested Lengthy later that day. The sufferer was hospitalized for 2 weeks however in the end made a full restoration, based on the D.A.
“This defendant horrifically abused a defenseless, 81-year-old woman, which was proven through the survivor’s honest and unwavering testimony at trial,” Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg mentioned in a press release. “I commend her bravery and hope this significant prison sentence can allow her to move forward. I also want to thank our prosecutors for conducting a thorough investigation and putting a comprehensive case in front of the jury to ensure this defendant will face accountability,” Bragg mentioned.
Manhattan District Legal professional Alvin Bragg in Manhattan on Thursday July 10, 2025. (Theodore Parisienne / New York Day by day Information)
Lengthy has spent a lot of his grownup life in jail for comparable crimes.
He dedicated his first sexual assault greater than 50 years in the past, pleading responsible to rape and theft in 1967, when he was 21, based on court docket paperwork.
After spending almost a decade in jail he was let out and was on probation for lower than three years earlier than committing two extra violent sexual assaults, once more pleading responsible to 2 counts of rape in 1979.
Lengthy was launched on parole in 2015 after spending greater than 35 years in jail.
After sexually assaulting his newest sufferer, Lengthy opted for a jury trial. Along with his age and the minimal sentence of greater than three many years, he’ll more than likely spend the remainder of his life behind bars.
Initially Revealed: July 18, 2025 at 9:53 PM EDT
