Thug Smiles As Widow Cries At Murder Trial, Judge’s 6 Words Slap Smirk Off His Face

A man from South Orange, New Jersey, was sentenced to life in prison for carjacking and murdering a man, and was caught smirking in court while the victim’s widow spoke (video below).

Basim Henry was sentenced for the 2013 murder of Dustin Friedland, a Hoboken lawyer. Henry, Hanif Thompson, Kevin Roberts and Karif Ford carjacked the Friedlanders’ Range Rover in December 2013 in the parking lot of the Short Hills mall while the man was returning from dinner with his wife, Jamie.

“I heard muffled talking,” Jamie testified in court, reports NorthJersey.com. “I turned around and saw Dustin standing with two men at both sides, one shorter and one taller. I saw a struggle. I saw the taller man put a gun to Dustin’s head. Then a shot went through the window.”

Thompson was reportedly the suspect who shot Dustin and who also got into the Range Rover, pointed the gun at the man’s wife and told her to get out of the vehicle.

“I turned around and saw Dustin laying there in a pool of blood,” she said. “I ran over to him, and I was screaming. I was screaming, ‘Stay with me.’ I saw him gasping for breath and his eyes looking at me.”

In court, Dustin’s widow addressed Henry directly and the killer was seen smirking during the victim impact statement.

“You changed everything,” she told Henry. “It wasn’t just someone’s car. It was someone’s life.”

Rose Friedland, Dustin’s mother, said following the sentencing that there was “no victory” in the case.

“Dustin will not be with us again and there will be two mothers without their sons,” she said.

Many readers reacted angrily to the murder and applauded the outcome of the trial.

“Prayers and condolences to the victims families…. and to the mothers of the perpetrators as well, for they will have to live the rest of their lives knowing that their child committed a senseless act of evil hatred and will probably burn in hell …. satan won that time,” one Mad World News reader commented on the site’s Facebook page.

“That is the kind of judges we need in every courtroom to had down a well deserved punishment,” another wrote. “Are you laughing/smirking now?? But the best sentence should have been death within a week no later than 10 days.”

“Any of these types od crimes should carry the death penalty, with no appeals and without waiting 10 or 12 years to be carried out that our tax money is used to take care of them!” another added. “Same goes for any rape or murder by an illegal alien!!!! Enough catering to murderers and rapists!” 

Sources: NorthJersey.com, Mad World News/Facebook / Featured Image: Brian Turner/Flickr / Embedded Images: Amy Newman/NorthJersey.com