Crossbow arrow allegedly shot by Lawrence man 'came within inches' of killing his sister, DA Donnelly says

The Lawrence man who prosecutors said admitted to police he shot his sister with a crossbow arrow in February came within inches of killing her, Nassau District Attorney Anne Donnelly said Thursday.

Samy Sedhom, 21, pleaded not guilty during a morning arraignment on an indictment for second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault, weapons and other charges after wounding his sister over what authorities have said was a disagreement over the thermostat setting in the family’s home.

Supreme Court Justice Robert Schwartz ordered Sedhom to stay away from the sibling, although he will not be released from jail pending a psychological evaluation for his mental competency to stand trial.

Donnelly said she believes his premeditation shows he understood what he was doing.

"He had to order this crossbow, had it delivered, put it together. So, there was a level of planning involved," she said. "It wasn’t a sudden [mental] break."

Sedhom’s attorney, Stephen Mullkoff, had previously said the incident was a prank against his sister.

"That statement is so unbelievable to me," Donnelly said. "A prank that we’re talking about would have killed somebody."

The lawyer and Sedhom’s parents declined to speak after the arraignment.

Nassau prosecutor Ryan Nelson told the judge Sedhom had made numerous statements to police during the investigation and arrest in February.

"He basically admitted doing this," Donnelly said during a news briefing after the hearing.

Prosecutors charge that after ordering and assembling the crossbow, Sedhom lay in wait for more than 20 minutes outside the family home on West Avenue on Feb. 13 for his sister to come home from work to attack her.

Sedhom told police he had been planning to kill his sister since Christmas, court documents say. He had planted a GPS tracking device in her car so he could trace her whereabouts, according to court records. During a police search of Sedhom’s room on the night of the incident, they found a katana sword and an empty box for a Barnett Whitetail Hunter Crossbow, the same brand police believe was used in the attack.

"Sedhom allegedly tracked his sister and lain in wait before brutally attacking her with a crossbow in a clear attempt to take her life," Donnelly said in a statement. "An attack that was born out of revenge for an ongoing dispute about the temperature in their home and came within inches of being fatal. Home should be a safe haven, not a place of fear and bloodshed."

The sister, who is a 28-year-old registered nurse, underwent extensive medical treatment, the prosecutor said, for a 6-inch cut on the side of her head caused by the hunting arrow.

"She is healing very well," Donnelly said. "It was a very deep gash across the ear and cheek and she had to have layers of stitching to close the wound. There are three layers that are trying to heal, but she’s very strong."

If convicted, Sedhom faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.

He’s due back in court on April 30.