Told his stepson-“do what you gotta do.”
Zyaire Fernandez
Defendant Phillip Ferrell provided the gun that was used to shoot and kill Zyaire in March 2023.
On January 16, Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace announced that Phillip Ferrell, 48, of Yonkers, was sentenced to 25 years in prison over his role in the killing of 14-year-old Zyaire Fernandez in March 2023.
Mr. Ferrell was sentenced this morning by Westchester County Court Judge George Fufidio, Jr., who further ordered that he undergo 5 years of post-release supervision following his release from prison.
D.A. Cacace said: “Mr. Ferrell set off the chain of events that resulted in Zyaire Fernandez’s death. Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of his role in this tragedy. My office is committed to ensuring that our children are kept safe from gun violence and that our communities remain safe places for them to live, learn, and grow.”
In November of last year, a jury convicted Mr. Ferrell of Manslaughter in the First Degree, among other charges. At trial, prosecutors showed that Mr. Ferrell provided his 9 mm pistol to his stepson, Tyrese Coghiel, and told him to “do what you gotta do.” Shortly thereafter, Mr. Coghiel used the pistol to shoot and kill Zyaire.
After the killing, Mr. Ferrell retrieved the gun and proceeded to hide it in his oven alongside two explosive devices and ammunition, all of which were recovered by law enforcement during the execution of a search warrant.
At sentencing, Zyaire’s mother stated: “Ever since that day, my life has not been the same. I miss my baby. He was 14 years old. He didn’t deserve what happened to him.”
The trial jury additionally found Mr. Ferrell guilty of several related charges and Judge Fufidio sentenced him on these charges as follows: two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree (15 years’ imprisonment on each), two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree (3 to 6 years’ imprisonment on each), Hindering Prosecution in the First Degree (3 to 6 years’ imprisonment), and Tampering with Physical Evidence (2 to 4 years’ imprisonment). All of these sentences are to run concurrently with the 25-year sentence for Manslaughter.
Mr. Coghiel, 23, pleaded guilty to Murder in the Second Degree in February of last year. Because of his cooperation with Mr. Ferrell’s prosecution, it is expected that he will be allowed to change his guilty plea to Manslaughter in the First Degree. He is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 20 before Judge Fufidio.
The investigation was conducted by the Mount Vernon Police Department’s Major Case Bureau with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force and D.A. Investigator Jed Salter.
The case was prosecuted by Lana Hochheiser, Chief of the Homicide Bureau, and Assistant District Attorney Adrian Murphy.
Tyrese Coghiel used the gun to shoot Zyaire Fernandez at the Levister Towers housing complex in Mt. Vernon.
