A 56-year-old Middletown man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for shooting another man twice in the head at his home in the Town of Crawford in June 2024.

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that Anthony Parrish was sentenced Tuesday, November 10, in Orange County Court by Judge Craig Stephen Brown. The sentence includes five years of post-release supervision.

Parrish was convicted by a jury in September on all charges, including Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, Assault in the First Degree, Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second and Third Degrees, and multiple counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Shooting and Investigation

According to evidence presented at trial, the shooting occurred at approximately 8 a.m. on June 6, 2024, when Parrish went to the victim's home in the Town of Crawford and shot him twice in the head before fleeing.

Despite his serious injuries, the victim managed to crawl out of his home and reach a main road, where he flagged down another person who called 911.

A key break in the investigation came from an encounter the previous day. A Town of Crawford Police sergeant had been at the victim's property on an unrelated matter and had seen Parrish there on a motorbike.

After the shooting, the injured victim was able to tell the responding officer that the person responsible was the man he had seen on the motorbike the day before.

The sergeant then reviewed footage from his body-worn camera, recorded during that earlier visit. The video allowed him to identify the motorcycle's license plate and, ultimately, Parrish as the suspect.

Police issued a "be on the lookout" alert. A City of Middletown police officer subsequently spotted Parrish at a bus stop in Middletown and detained him.

A duffel bag recovered by police contained a loaded firearm, later identified as the weapon used in the shooting, along with quantities of narcotics. Investigators also found Parrish's DNA on the firearm and on the packaging containing the drugs.

District Attorney Comments on Sentence

District Attorney Hoovler thanked the Town of Crawford Police Department for its investigation, which led to Parrish's arrest and conviction. He also recognized the assistance provided by the City of Middletown Police Department and New York State Police.

“The maximum sentence imposed is the only appropriate sentence for the unspeakable violence perpetrated by this defendant,” Hoovler said. “Despite the defendant's best efforts to abscond from the jurisdiction before being caught, the hard work of multiple police agencies ensured that this violent offender was located and brought to justice.

“Thankfully, the victim survived the ordeal and was able to bravely speak at the sentencing. We remain committed to the pursuit of violent crimes and the criminals who perpetrate them.”

Hoovler also commended Senior Assistant District Attorney David Byrne and Assistant District Attorney Cassidy Turi, who prosecuted the case.