THE MAN WHO murdered another man 17 years ago in Rockland County, New York and fled to Jamaica shortly afterward has been found guilty of the crime.
Michael Simon, 37, was found guilty of second-degree murder in the shooting death of Richard Marryshow, 27, last Thursday in the Rockland County Court.
The 1987 murder took place in Spring Valley, New York and was the result of a fight over marijuana. Both Simon and Marryshow were drug dealers; Marryshow was shot in the back of the head and died in hospital four days after.
Up to the time of his surrender, Simon was on the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and New York State's Most Wanted Lists.
In October of last year, Simon gave an exclusive interview to THE STAR shortly before boarding a flight back to New York to face his crime. Simon, who in that story went by the name Sherman Clemens, was employed as a mechanic, and lived in Manchester where he managed to stay out of trouble and started a family which included an 11-year-old son.
However, after 16 years on the run and living a lie, Simon's conscience finally caught up with him and he turned himself over to the police.
Scared
"Is more than one time I tried to turn myself over to the police but I got scared but I just couldn't take it so I come up to Kingston and go to a police I know and told him what I did and..." he said.
To keep his secret he said he had to do some major adjustments in his life. "I don't go to clubs, parties, or public places. I'm tired of hiding and keep looking over my shoulder. I want to be able to use my real name and not feel like someone is behind me all the time,' he said.
Confessed to son
He added that his child was another major factor in his decision to hand himself over to the police. "When I counsel him and tell him to stay away from bad company I remember what I did and I have to face up to it," he said.
Simon said that he had already confessed his crime to his son, "I told him what I had done and that I had to go away for a while."
At that time, Simon said he was ready for any punishment he would receive. "I'm prepared to stand up for what I have done. If I go to prison I'll just have to do my time and if I get off I'll come back to Jamaica and live,"he said.
However, Simon did not plead guilty and at trial his lawyer, William Gerard, claimed that he fired only in self-defense and that the bullet that killed Marryshow might not have been his.
That defence was thrown out by the presiding judge Kenneth Resnick and the jury returned with a guilty verdict.
Simon will be sentenced on June 10 and faces up to 25 years to life.
