Man convicted in killing of NYPD detective Jonathan Diller faces 90 years to life in prison

QUEENS - Sentencing day has arrived for Guy Rivera, the man convicted in the shooting that claimed the life of NYPD Detective Jonathan Diller more than two years ago.

What we know:

Rivera is scheduled to be sentenced at 9:30 a.m. Monday at the Queens County Criminal Court in Kew Gardens. He faces 90 years to life in prison. 

A massive showing of support is expected from the NYPD community, with large crowds of officers and Police Benevolent Association President Pat Hendry slated to attend in honor of their fallen brother in blue.

‘Life sentence of grief’

What they're saying:

Jonathan Diller's wife, Stephanie Diller, and mother, Fran Diller, both gave emotional testimonies during Rivera's sentencing hearing on Monday.

Stephanie Diller

"Mr. Rivera, it has taken me a long time to write this because there are no words for March 25th, 2024, and I have learned there never will be. That day, a bullet did not just take my husband, Jonathan; it tore through our entire life. I stand here speaking directly to you because this is the last moment I will allow you to take from me. You took my husband, Jonathan. You took the future we planned together, the life we were building, the years we were supposed to share, and the moments our family will never get back.

The court has called this manslaughter. But for me, there is nothing lesser about the loss I live with every day. In a single moment, everything that was my life was gone. The life I had with him ended, and the life I live now is marked by his absence. There is silence in my home where there should be his voice, and I make decisions I was never meant to make alone. I live with conversations that will never happen, and memories that ended far too soon. There are milestones Jonathan will never see; the moments with Ryan that should have had his voice, his pride, his presence, and the joy we were meant to feel together as his parents.

I wanted a lifetime with him—the ordinary days, the future we assumed we would always have—but that was taken from us. And I did not get to be there when his life ended. I did not get to hold his hand. I did not get to say goodbye. I did not get to give him the love and the peace he deserved in his final moments…

No sentence handed down in this courtroom will ever bring me peace for what was done to Jonathan, because no sentence can give back his life, restore Ryan’s father, or make my family whole again. But justice still matters. Not because it changes what happened, but because it acknowledges who Jonathan was. He mattered. His life mattered. And I will spend the rest of mine making sure he is never reduced to the moment he was taken from us. Jonathan’s name will not end in this courtroom; his legacy will not end here today. I stand for Jonathan, the same way he stood by me for 12 years.

Mr. Rivera, your actions that day cannot be undone. What you did to Jonathan gave me and our son a life sentence without him. I trust the court to reflect the seriousness of that in your sentence. When I leave this courtroom, I will no longer speak of you. I will no longer think of you. I will only carry Jonathan in my heart, raise our son, and honor the love the three of us shared. Thank you, Your Honor."

Fran Diller

"At 31 years, I had the privilege and honor of being Jonathan’s mother before my youngest child was so slyly and cruelly taken from me. There is an emptiness inside of me from Jonathan’s death that will haunt me every second of every day for the rest of my life…

Since March 25th, 2024, my world has been completely shattered. Everything feels empty without him. Holidays and birthdays, which are supposed to be times of joy and making memories, no longer exist. All I can feel is an unbearable ache of my son not being here. Every morning I wake up to a living nightmare, which is now my reality, that breaks me over and over again. I will never see his smile, hear his laughter, feel his arms around me ever again, nor hear a silly nickname he had for me. The silence you left behind is deafening, and the pain is unbearable.

I have looked at the defendant over the last two years, and every single court appearance that I have attended, I have never seen any remorse, only a concern for himself. As the one who has stolen my son’s life, he has forced our family into a life sentence of grief. My hope today is that the court understands the depth of the loss caused by his actions on that day and sentences him appropriately…

Your Honor, I am pleading with you to impose the maximum sentence allowed by law. He didn’t just take a life; he took our whole world, our future, and a love that can never be replaced. The pain this defendant has caused is endless, and no family should ever have to endure this kind of heartbreak. Please ensure he never has a chance to do this to anyone again. My son deserves justice. True justice."

Verdict outrage

Dig deeper:

Earlier this month, a jury found Rivera guilty on several major counts, including aggravated manslaughter, attempted murder of a police officer and criminal possession of a weapon. However, he was acquitted of the top charge of first-degree murder.

The acquittal sparked immediate outrage among the NYPD community. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch expressed deep disappointment that Rivera was not convicted on the highest charge. Throughout the trial, Diller’s fellow officers packed the courtroom to support his grieving family.

PBA President Pat Hendry voiced the ongoing frustration of the department and Diller's loved ones following the verdict earlier this month:

"I left the family who’s had to deal with this nightmare for the last two years," Hendry said. "They’re still devastated. These police officers know behind me that this was murder one on a New York City police officer. No doubt about it."

Despite the acquittal on the top charge, Rivera is expected to spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Deadly traffic stop

The backstory:

The deadly encounter occurred in March 2024 during a traffic stop in Far Rockaway, Queens.

According to prosecutors, Rivera intentionally pulled a gun from his pocket and fired at the 31-year-old officer as he approached the vehicle. Rivera's defense team attempted to argue that the gun fired accidentally during a struggle with another officer, a claim the jury ultimately rejected in the manslaughter conviction.

The driver of the vehicle involved in the traffic stop, Lindsay Jones, is also facing legal consequences. Jones faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted on related weapons possession charges.

Honoring the fallen

Why you should care:

Detective Diller’s tragic death left a profound impact on New York City. During his funeral in Massapequa Park on Long Island, Diller was posthumously promoted to Detective First Grade.

He leaves behind his widow, Stephanie, and their young son.