Auburn, NY- District Attorney Brittany Grome Antonacci announced that ALVA G. PARSONS, 64, of Sandy Creek, New York, was found guilty of Murder in the Second Degree, a Class A-1 Felony, Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a Class C Violent Felony, Tampering with Physical Evidence, a Class E Felony, and Coercion in the First Degree, a Class D Felony following a six day-long jury trial in Oswego County. The Cayuga County District Attorney’s Office had been assigned as Special Prosecutor by the Honorable Deborah J. Karalunus.
The jury returned its guilty verdict after hearing eyewitness testimony and reviewing evidence, including photographs, text messages taken from the defendant’s phone, DNA evidence, ballistics evidence, and police officer testimony. The jury concluded that on the morning of June 27, 2022, the defendant intentionally shot and killed Charles “Chuckie” Rothenburg at the defendant’s home in the 5000 block of State Route 11 in the Town of Sandy Creek. The evidence established that PARSONS shot the victim in the neck with a .22 caliber revolver. The bullet lodged in the victim’s brain killing him. After the murder, PARSONS, with the assistance of others, dragged the victim’s body into a bedroom in the rear of the residence and covered it with clothes to hide his body. In addition, PARSONS threatened an eyewitness with physical injury to prevent her from leaving his residence after the murder. Members of the New York State Police discovered Mr. Rothenburg’s body in the bedroom approximately 36 hours later and arrested PARSONS.
This case was prosecuted by Special Counsel to the District Attorney Mark Moody.
PARSONS faces a maximum indeterminate term of twenty-five (25) years to life imprisonment on the Murder in the Second Degree conviction. He is scheduled to be sentenced before Oswego County Court Judge Armen J. Nazarian, on August 2, 2024.
District Attorney Grome Antonacci commented, “We commend the members of the jury for the time and consideration they gave listening to and reviewing the evidence
throughout the trial. We hope that this conviction and ultimate sentence will provide the victim and his family a sense of justice and closure. We also thank the New York State Police for their hard work and diligence on this case.”
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