Davide Giri’s killer was sentenced to 25-years-to-life Friday as the slain Columbia doctoral student’s family crossed an ocean to face him in court.
Renato Giri, the victim’s father, spoke through an interpreter in Manhattan Supreme Court with relatives who had flown from Italy to pack the gallery. “All that remains for us are the memories of the beauty of his life and the hope that the love he gave will not be lost,” he said.
Vincent Pinkney, 30, received the sentence after pleading guilty July 10 to one count of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder. The promised term was set in exchange for his plea.
Caterina Giri delivered an emotional statement on behalf of the family, describing what her brother lost in the December 2021 attack. “Davide lost the entire future he was building with dedication, passion and sacrifice,” she read in court. “His life plans, the family he longed for, and the scientific research he would have given to the world.”
The 30-year-old Italian Ph.D. Student had come to the United States in 2016 to pursue his academic ambitions at Columbia. He was working as a teaching assistant and nearing completion of his doctorate in computer science.
Columbia professor Luca Carolini attested to Giri’s standing in the university community. “(He) was an exceptional researcher, a leader in mentoring younger students, and in fostering collaborations with other research groups, both at universities and in industry,” Carolini said.
Pinkney had been on parole for a Queens gang assault conviction when he launched a 15-minute stabbing spree across Manhattan parks on Dec. 2, 2021. Prosecutors said he attacked three victims in that brief window.
Giri was walking home from soccer practice around 11 p.m. When Pinkney approached from behind and stabbed him in the stomach in Morningside Park. The killing was captured on video. Minutes later, Pinkney stabbed a then-27-year-old Italian tourist in the torso. The rampage ended only when Pinkney targeted a third man in Central Park; that victim, who was with his girlfriend, managed to fend off the attack and flag down police officers.
Pinkney offered a brief apology in court Friday and claimed schizophrenia had contributed to the attacks. His Legal Aid Society attorney, Michelle Benoit, said her client had been “suffering from a psychotic episode” during the violence.
The university has worked to preserve Giri’s legacy in the years since his death. Columbia granted him a posthumous degree and established the Davide Giri Memorial Prize, an annual award for students at the Ivy League school.
