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Resolution in the 2025 Killing of Rebecca Roth

A factual, victim-centered account detailing the June 6, 2025, fatal shooting of 33-year-old Rebecca Roth in Moriches, New York, and the subsequent criminal resolution. James Quininchetta, Roth's former boyfriend, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and...

By Kenya Moorer · August 3, 2026

Resolution in the 2025 Killing of Rebecca Roth
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James Quininchetta will serve 23 years to life in prison after pleading guilty to the fatal shooting of his ex-girlfriend outside her apartment complex.

Story

The documented events, court record, and outcome.

Rebecca Roth, a 33-year-old resident of Moriches, New York, was killed in her community on June 6, 2025. This account serves to document the factual and finalized criminal resolution surrounding her death, ensuring a clear and objective record of accountability. While the justice process has concluded, official public records currently contain limited biographical details regarding Roth's life beyond her identity and the documented facts of the crime.

At approximately 12:30 a.m. on June 6, 2025, Rebecca Roth, 33, was inside her parked vehicle at the Tall Oaks apartment complex in Moriches, New York. According to court records and subsequent guilty plea admissions, James Quininchetta went to the complex in an attempt to collect a perceived financial debt and shot Roth with a .45-caliber handgun. Roth died from her injuries. News 12 reported that her mother found her inside the vehicle.

Following the incident, police recovered a .45-caliber handgun, spent shell casings, and ammunition packaging in a nearby parking lot. A police K-9 unit subsequently located a fanny pack containing ammunition in a nearby wooded area. The defendant, Quininchetta, was arrested on June 7, 2025, and Criminal Court case IND-71806-25/001 was formally filed that same day.

On January 29, 2026, Quininchetta entered a formal guilty plea before Supreme Court Justice Timothy P. Mazzei, resolving the criminal case without proceeding to trial. Under New York State law, this admission of guilt established legal responsibility for the felony offenses. Specifically, the defendant pleaded guilty to Murder in the Second Degree, a Class A felony, and two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, Class C felonies.

On March 11, 2026, the criminal prosecution concerning the death of the victim concluded at the trial level in case IND-71806-25/001. Supreme Court Justice Timothy P. Mazzei sentenced Quininchetta to 23 years to life in state prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Eric S. Aboulafia of the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office Homicide Bureau, recording the final judicial resolution and establishing legal accountability.

This account remembers Rebecca Roth, who was killed on June 6, 2025, in Moriches, New York. The criminal case concluded with James Quininchetta's guilty plea and sentence of 23 years to life in state prison. Readers seeking confidential support, safety-planning information, or community services can visit our [resource directory](/resources/).