Robber Gets 10 Years In Prison For Shove That Killed UWS Man: DA

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — A man will face 10 years in prison for killing an Upper West Side college professor during a robbery in a neighborhood bank, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., announced.

Matthew Lee, 52, was sentenced to a decade in state prison with an additional five years of post-release supervision Thursday after pleading guilty to manslaughter and robbery, prosecutors said. Lee shoved 87-year-old Lehman College professor Dr. Young Kun Kim to the ground while fighting over $300 at an Upper West Side bank, causing the professor to suffer a fatal head injury, prosecutors said.

The struggle occurred on May 13, 208 when Lee followed Kim into the ATM area of a Citibank branch on Broadway between West 96th and 97th streets and tried to grab his cash as it was dispensed by the machine, prosecutors said. Kim struck his head on the ground when he was knocked down and was left in the ATM area until he was discovered by bank customers. He died four days later at Mount Sinai Hospital, prosecutors said.

As part of his sentence, Lee agreed to participate in a restorative justice session with members of Kim's family. Lee and his sister met with Kim's son and daughter-in-law in an effort to address the effects of Lee's crime and give the victim's family an opportunity to heal, prosecutors said. During the session, Lee expressed remorse and took accountability for his actions, prosecutors said.

The restorative justice session was the first of its kind for a homicide case prosecuted by the Manhattan District attorney's office.

"Traditional criminal prosecutions offer few opportunities to amplify victims’ voices or allow for engagement between survivors and the accused," District Attorney Vance said in a statement. "Today’s sentencing proves that even in homicide cases, restorative justice is a meaningful way to empower survivors while offering both parties an opportunity to engage, understand, heal, and move forward."

Kim's former students at Lehman College described the professor as "sweet" and "very understanding," in interviews with the Post. He was also a resident of the Upper West Side, living in an apartment building on West End Avenue near West 100th Street.