A judge has sentenced a woman from New York for causing the death of her younger, vulnerable 15-year-old cousin.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Per a press release by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, A Jury found Johnette Booker, 43, guilty of multiple offenses on February 5, 2025, including First Degree Manslaughter, Assault, and Gang Assault. A judge sentenced Booker to 20 years in State Prison on March 24.
Booker reportedly tortured and killed her 15-year-old cousin, Jallen McConnie, in 2021. McConnie had special needs, and the defendant believed he was autistic. He lived with his adoptive sister, although she sent him to stay with Booker for "cousin boot camp."
The press release describes the horrific treatment McConnie experienced at Booker's home. He was there for 32 days and was reportedly 'physically and emotionally tortured.' McConnie was repeatedly assaulted with belts and forced to sleep on the floor. Booker forced him to do intensive exercises and sit cross-legged facing the wall for multiple hours. He was also denied his prescription medication and made to stand in the corner, touching his toes.
On June 28, Booker reportedly beat her cousin with a belt for over an hour, causing bruises and welts all over his body. The press release says that Booker 'acted in concert with the victim's cousin and allegedly another family member to hit Mr. McConnie with belts and punch him.'
After the beating, Booker brought McConnie to the bathroom 'and aided as a family member allegedly ordered Mr. McConnie to open his mouth and forced water down his throat.' He collapsed in the bathtub, and a medical examiner ruled his cause of death as 'homicidal asphyxia.'
Booker Reportedly Didn't Call 911 Immediately After Killing Her Cousin
The press release explains that Booker delayed calling 911 after McConnie's death, and authorities caught her in a web of lies. Booker first told police that she wasn't even at the residence at the time. She claimed that her cousin was 'jumped' outside the home by boys in the park.
At a later date, Booker reportedly changed her story, saying McConnie committed suicide. The tale eventually changed again, and she filed a letter with the courts suggesting she was in her room when McConnie died and 'could not hear' what was happening.
In the press release, Bragg explains, "Booker will serve a significant prison term for this utterly horrific conduct, and my thoughts remain with Mr. McConnie's loved ones, who continue to grieve this devastating loss."
Per a report by AMNY, Judge Cori Weston said "I don't usually say much during sentencings. This is one of the saddest cases in all my years as an attorney and a judge."
