The Palm Sunday massacre was a 1984 mass-murder in Brooklyn, New York, that resulted in the deaths of ten people: two women, two teenage girls, and six children. There was one survivor, an infant girl. All of the victims were shot, with a total of 19 bullets fired from two handguns at close range, most in the head, and were found in relaxed poses sitting in couches and chairs, suggesting that they had been taken by surprise. There were no signs of drugs or robbery at the scene, but the home was owned by the husband of one of the victims; he was a convicted cocaine dealer. In 1985, Christopher Thomas was convicted on ten counts of manslaughter, but was cleared of murder charges. The jury had convicted him of intentional murder, but the charges were reduced due to "extreme emotional disturbance". Prosecutors said that the motive was jealousy. Thomas was sentenced to from 83 to 250 years, but due to state law was expected to spend no more than 50 years in prison. He ended up serving just over 32 years before being released in 2018, having served two thirds of the maximum fifty years allowed by New York State. The sole survivor, an infant female, was raised by her grandmother. Joanna Jaffe, at the time a "beat cop" and by 2014 the highest ranking female officer in the New York City Police Department, was assigned to the infant girl, and stayed in contact with her as she grew up. The girl lived with Jaffe starting at age 14. In 2014, after the death of the girl's grandmother, Jaffe adopted her at the age of 31.
Betsy Bermudez, age 14 - sister of Marelyn Bermudez and daughter of homeowner Enrique Bermudez
Marelyn Bermudez, age 10 - sister of Betsy Bermudez and daughter of homeowner Enrique Bermudez
Eddie Lopez, age 7 - son of Virginia Lopez and brother of Juan Enrique Lopez
Juan Enrique Lopez, age 4 - son of Virginia Lopez and brother of Eddie Lopez
Virginia Lopez, age 24 - mother of Eddie and Juan Enrique Lopez. She was also the girlfriend of homeowner Enrique Bermudez and was eight months pregnant with their child at the time of her murder.
Alberto Maldonado, age 3 - son of Carmen Perez and brother of Noel Maldonado and half-brother of Christina Rivera, the sole survivor of the massacre.
Noel Maldonado, age 3 - son of Carmen Perez and brother of Alberto Maldonado and half-brother of Christina Rivera, the sole survivor of the massacre.
Carmen Perez, age 20 - mother of Alberto and Noel Maldonado and Christina Rivera, the sole survivor of the massacre and sister of Migdalia Perez.
Maria Isabel Perez, age 10 - niece of Carmen and Migdalia Perez
Migdalia Perez, age 14 - sister of Carmen Perez and aunt of Alberto and Noel Maldonado and Christina Rivera.
