Murderer Of Gilbert Kelley, “Beloved” Clinton Hill Homeless Man, Sentenced

23 years to life.

That’s the sentence for Victorious Kingsberry, 20, the Clinton Hill man who was convicted three months ago for shooting “beloved” local homeless man Gilbert Kelley in the chest after a verbal argument in 2014.

“This sentence represents justice for Gilbert Kelley, who was a fixture of the Clinton Hill community and died protecting Grand Avenue, the block he loved,” said Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson. “He was senselessly shot dead by this defendant, who now deserves to spend many years behind bars for killing such a generous and beloved man.”

It was 4 a.m. on March 15, 2014 when Kingsberry, then 18, and five friends walked by Kelley as he slept on Grand Avenue.

At approximately 4 a.m., the defendant, who was 18 years old, and five of his friends were on the way home from a party when they exited the subway, turned onto Grand Avenue, and started to walk towards Lafayette Gardens.

According to trial testimony, they encountered Gilbert Kelley, 57, a local homeless man who often swept the sidewalks of Grand Avenue and helped the homeowners on that block by doing odd jobs such as carrying groceries, raking leaves and shoveling snow.

Kelley was pushing his shopping cart at the time and told the defendant and his friends to be quiet because the neighbors were sleeping. The defendant and his friends then got into a dispute with Kelley and started to approach the victim, who pulled out a kitchen knife. The defendant and his friends then crossed to the opposite side of the street, and the defendant then pulled out a .380 caliber handgun and fired, striking the victim in the chest, and ran off.

Kingsberry’s sentence was for charges of second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.