Overview
- A Suffolk County jury, which returned a guilty verdict Friday, convicted Keyonna Waddell of first-degree assault and first-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
- The March 2024 attack followed an argument in Deer Park, where Waddell threw a homemade stick of dynamite into her then-boyfriend’s bedroom as he slept.
- The device detonated as the victim tried to toss it away, destroying most of his hand and leading to amputation of the remaining hand and part of his arm at Nassau University Medical Center.
- Prosecutors said Waddell had threatened to use dynamite multiple times before the attack, a pattern they cited to show a dangerous escalation in the relationship.
- Sentencing is set for May 27, and Waddell faces up to 25 years in prison, with the district attorney crediting prosecutors Dana Castaldo and Jacob DeLauter and Detective John Caraccia for the case.