Middletown Man Gets 25 Years to Life for Killing 3-Year-Old in Wallkill

Gionni Sellers, 26, of Middletown received the maximum sentence allowed under New York law Tuesday after a jury convicted him of second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter in the death of 3-year-old Xavier Johnson of Wallkill. Orange County Court imposed 25 years to life in state prison on March 10, with Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announcing the sentence.

Sellers had been responsible for caring for Xavier, the son of his girlfriend, during May and June 2022 at a home in Wallkill. In June of that year, police were called to the home and found the boy unresponsive and not breathing. Despite lifesaving efforts by first responders, Xavier was pronounced dead after being taken to the hospital.

Investigators determined that in the days leading up to Xavier's death, Sellers inflicted blunt force trauma to the boy's head and torso, causing devastating injuries throughout his body, including severe brain trauma that ultimately caused his death, prosecutors said. Authorities also recovered disturbing internet searches on Sellers' cellphone, including the queries "why do younger men want to hurt baby" and "baby breathing heavy after being shook."

The jury trial was presided over by the Honorable Craig Stephen Brown in Orange County Court. Jurors deliberated less than an hour before unanimously finding that Sellers recklessly engaged in conduct creating a grave risk of death under circumstances showing a depraved indifference to human life, prosecutors said. Following the January 16, 2026 verdict, Sellers was remanded to the Orange County Jail without bail.

The 25-years-to-life sentence represents the maximum punishment available under New York law for the charges on which Sellers was convicted.