A 21-year-old man has been convicted of second-degree murder in the August 2022 death of James Hallenbeck.
Rahjule Keeton was found guilty Tuesday of robbing and fatally shooting Hallenbeck, 29, on Olean Street. Hallenbeck was on one of his regular late-night walks, the Monroe County District Attorney's office said, and his targeting by Keeton was random.
Keeton also was convicted of first- and second-degree robbery. His sentencing is scheduled for June 18 before state Supreme Court Justice Victoria Argento.
"We are relieved that the jury has found this defendant guilty," said Carol Hallenbeck, Hallenbeck's mother. "It's been 45 months since James was murdered and, finally, we have one trial behind us."
Keeton was arrested in November. The case initially had few leads and was among a series of cold cases examined by WXXI News in a 2023 series. A Wi-Fi ping from the nearby Phyllis Wheatley Community Library at the time of the shooting served as a major piece of evidence in arresting Keeton.
“James Hallenbeck was a local musician who enjoyed taking late night walks to clear his mind,” Assistant District Attorney Michael Caranante said in a statement. “Unfortunately, Rahjule Keeton had other plans when he saw Mr. Hallenbeck on that summer night. I am deeply grateful to the investigators and technicians at the Rochester Police Department for putting in the difficult and tedious work to identify James Hallenbeck’s killer.”
Keeton is not believed to have acted alone, the DA's office said. No other arrests have been made.
"We will continue to look to our fantastic RPD investigative team as they work to bring the second suspect to justice," Carol Hallenbeck said.
