Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that 38-year-old Cuansharee Palmer of Buffalo has been found guilty by a jury on a 9 count indictment. The charges include one count of Manslaughter in the Second Degree, two counts of Vehicular Manslaughter in the Second Degree, four counts of Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated with a Child Passenger Less than 16, and two counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child.

On April 30, 2017, at approximately 5 a.m., the victim, 39-year-old Donnell Sharp, had exited his ex-wife’s SUV outside of his home on East Morris Avenue in the City of Buffalo. The victim was found pinned underneath the defendant’s vehicle after it had jumped a curb, hit a tree and a set of sidewalk steps. Buffalo firefighters were able to pull Sharp out from under the vehicle, but he died from his injuries at ECMC.

Palmer faces a maximum of 15 years in prison when she is sentenced by State Supreme Court Justice M. William Boller on Friday, July 27 at 9:30 a.m.

Palmer was driving with a BAC of .15, nearly twice the legal limit with the couple’s two children, a three and a five-year-old in the backseat.

DA Flynn commends the Buffalo Police Department Accident Investigation Unit and Trooper Troy Ford of the New York State Police for their investigative work.

Assistant District Attorneys Patrick B. Shanahan and Rebecca Schnirel prosecuted the case.