Three felony convictions out of Cayuga County were upheld this week by a state appellate court, cementing long prison sentences for the defendants involved in robbery, assault, and two separate murder cases.
District Attorney Brittany Grome Antonacci announced the Appellate Division, Fourth Department’s decisions on Friday, confirming that all three convictions—two dating back over a decade—will stand.
Alissa Reynolds’ conviction for second-degree robbery was affirmed following her 2023 guilty plea. Reynolds admitted to orchestrating a home invasion in Owasco, arranging for her boyfriend, Jason McDeid, to rob an elderly resident and helping him carry out the crime. She was sentenced in October to 3½ years in prison followed by five years of post-release supervision.
In a second case, the court denied a resentencing motion filed by Brenda Newkirk, who pleaded guilty in 2013 to second-degree murder. Newkirk fatally shot her boyfriend multiple times at their Conquest home. She recently argued that her sentence should be reduced due to alleged domestic abuse. That argument was rejected by the Cayuga County Court and again by the appellate court, which left her 21-years-to-life sentence in place.
The most serious case involved Kevin Ritchie, whose conviction for second-degree murder, assault, and related charges was also affirmed. A jury found Ritchie guilty in 2013 for killing one man and injuring another in the City of Auburn. He was sentenced to nearly 30 years to life in prison. His appeal was delayed for years as he repeatedly requested new attorneys, but the appellate court unanimously upheld his conviction and sentence.
Chief Assistant District Attorney Christopher T. Valdina handled the appeals for the Cayuga County DA’s Office.
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