Overview

• Peter Zisopoulos was found guilty of second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon for the 2022 unprovoked stabbing of FDNY Captain Alison Russo-Elling in Queens.
• The attack occurred on September 29, 2022, outside EMS Station 49, where Zisopoulos stabbed Russo 20 times with a serrated kitchen knife, fatally wounding her.
• DNA evidence from both the victim and the defendant was found on the knife used in the attack, and surveillance footage corroborated eyewitness accounts.
• Zisopoulos, diagnosed with schizophrenia, had undergone multiple mental health evaluations before being deemed fit for trial earlier this year.
• Russo-Elling, a 24-year FDNY veteran and 9/11 first responder, was posthumously promoted to captain, with her death prompting widespread public mourning and tributes.