Ex-stripper testifies in murder for hire case

As her ex-boyfriend stared at her from a few feet away, a former stripper testified Thursday that he helped to arrange the shooting death two years ago of Nesconset attorney James DiMartino.

On the fourth day of Donovan Raysor's murder-for-hire trial in Suffolk County Court, Monique Randall, 31, of St. Albans, Queens, testified that she, Raysor and another man were paid $10,000 by DiMartino's business partner to kill the 44-year-old father of four on Oct. 20, 2008.

Randall pleaded guilty in November 2008 to second-degree murder for her role in the plot. She testified that Raysor, 23, also of St. Albans, did not want to be involved when she first told him that Ronald Thornton - whom she met in a Kings Park strip club where she worked - wanted to pay someone $5,000 to commit a murder.

Days later, however, Raysor met Thornton and agreed to help arrange the slaying of a man she later learned was DiMartino, Randall said.

"I asked him, 'What did he say?' " Randall said, recounting a conversation with Raysor. "He said, 'I'm going to get some guys for him, but I told him I wanted $10,000.' "

Raysor has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and other charges for DiMartino's death. He is being held without bail.

Raysor is the third man to go on trial for DiMartinos death. Thornton, 39, of Nesconset, and another man, Darnell Festus, 25, of Queens, were convicted earlier this year at separate trials for their roles in DiMartino's death.

Thornton and Festus, who first name is also known as Donnell, each are serving mandatory life sentences in prison. Each was convicted of first-degree murder.

In exchange for testifying, Randall is expected to receive a lesser sentence of 15 years to life in prison.

From the moment she entered the courtroom Thursday, handcuffed and escorted by court officers, Randall appeared to avoid eye contact with Raysor.

The only time she looked directly at her former boyfriend was when she was asked to identify him in court. She craned her neck to describe what he was wearing - a dark suit and burgundy tie.

Randall said Raysor chose Festus to shoot DiMartino. Raysor remained in a nearby hotel room while Festus shot DiMartino in the parking lot of a Commack restaurant on Jericho Turnpike, Randall said.

As Randall described the shooting, DiMartino's widow, Diane, wept in a second-row seat.