16-year-old Josiah Williams pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in the children's birthday-party assault in Ramapo last June.
Williams, who turns 17 in June, is a New Windsor, NY resident.
Rockland County District Attorney Thomas P. Zugibe announced the plea April 11.
Police were called to the party in Hillcrest June 9, 2013 after a call reporting a violent altercation outside at a private home on East Hickory Street.
Zugibe said the victim, Riccardo Barrett, and his girlfriend were attending the birthday party when a fight broke out between third parties and members of Williams’ family.
As the altercation was ongoing, Williams and another person attacked Barrett with a knife. Williams stabbed the victim once in the chest, piercing his heart and killing him.
Zugibe said Williams admitted that he was involved in a physical altercation with Barrett leading to the fatal stabbing and was arrested on August 26, 2013 in Orange County.
He faces 3 and 1/3 to 10 years in state prison when sentenced on July 1—the maximum sentence allowed by law on the felony manslaughter charge as he was a juvenile at the time of the crime.
Supervising Assistant District Attorney Richard K. Moran prosecuted the case.
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