2 Ulster County brothers convicted of murdering father of 2

Two Ulster County brothers - one of whom was a military sergeant - were convicted for murdering a father of two.

Junando and Juwaugh Dawkins were found guilty of killing 41-year-old Daniel Spotard.

A sanitation worker called 911 when he found Spotard at the end of a driveway in the town of Plattekill last year in January. Investigators say he was shot several times.

Cellphone locations and DNA evidence found on a gun linked the brothers to the crime.

Juando Dawkins was apprehended at Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg) in North Carolina in 2023 as he was about to deploy overseas as a sergeant in the United States Army.

Authorities say the killing was premeditated. They say parts of the Glock semi-automatic pistol used in the crime were recovered in the Hudson River, which was found to have DNA from Juwaugh Dawkins.

“The shots that killed Daniel Spottard did more than kill him; they took him away from his children and family, and each of the 12 shots pierced the sense of safety and psychological well-being of the community,” says Ulster County District Attorney Emmanuel Nneji.

The brothers were found guilty after an 11-day trial, which began April 15. They face up to 25 years to life in prison when they are sentenced in July.