Davide Giri, a Columbia University doctoral student fatally stabbed during a 2021 Manhattan attack spree, was remembered Friday as a “brilliant mind” whose promising future was stolen — as his killer was finally sentenced.
Giri’s family traveled from Italy to a Manhattan courtroom as Vincent Pinkney, who killed the 30-year-old Italian Ph.D. student on Dec. 2, 2021, received a sentence of 25 years to life in prison.
“All that remains for us are the memories of the beauty of his life and the hope that the love he gave will not be lost,” Davide’s father, Renato Giri, said through an interpreter in Manhattan Supreme Court.
An avid soccer fan, Giri left Italy in 2016 to pursue his dream of studying at Columbia. He was working as a teaching assistant while seeking a doctorate in computer science.
“Davide lost the entire future he was building with dedication, passion and sacrifice,” his sister, Caterina, said in an emotional statement read in court. “His life plans, the family he longed for, and the scientific research he would have given to the world.”
Giri was walking home from soccer practice shortly before 11 p.m. when Pinkney, who was on parole for a Queens gang assault conviction, approached from behind and stabbed him in the stomach in Morningside Park, officials said at the time.
Manhattan prosecutors said Giri was one of three people attacked during Pinkney’s terrifying 15-minute stabbing spree.
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The attack on Giri, which was captured on video, was followed by Pinkney’s assault on another victim, a 27-year-old Italian tourist who was found with stab wounds to his torso, police said.
The rampage ended in Central Park when Pinkney tried to stab a third victim. The man, who was with his girlfriend, managed to stop the attack and alert police.
Pinkney, 30, pleaded guilty July 10 to second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder. In exchange, he was promised a sentence of 25 years to life in prison.
During a brief statement in court Friday, Pinkney apologized to Giri’s family and the other victims, saying his schizophrenia had contributed in part to the attacks.
Pinkney’s attorney, Michelle Benoit of the Legal Aid Society, said he was “suffering from a psychotic episode” when the attacks occurred.
Columbia University has honored Giri’s legacy by awarding him a posthumous degree and establishing the Davide Giri Memorial Prize, an annual award for the university’s students.
“(He) was an exceptional researcher, a leader in mentoring younger students, and in fostering collaborations with other research groups, both at universities and in industry,” Columbia University professor Luca Carolini said.
