Man Sentenced for Fatal Stabbing in Bay Area

Dennis Duree, 41, was sentenced on April 23 to 100 years to life in state prison for a 2023 San Francisco stabbing that killed Brandon Mitchell and wounded a woman. (sfdistrictattorney.org) San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said Judge Eric Flemming imposed the sentence after a jury convicted Duree in December 2025 of first-degree murder, first-degree attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and weapon-use allegations. (sfdistrictattorney.org) Prosecutors said the attack happened on the 1300 block of Mission Street in the early morning hours of Dec. 28, 2023, near Washburn Street in the South of Market neighborhood. They said Duree knew both victims and joined them after they set up an encampment on the sidewalk. (sfdistrictattorney.org) According to the district attorney’s office, Duree began smoking “dope,” repeatedly accused Mitchell and the woman of taking it when he dropped it, then walked to a nearby alley, spoke with an unidentified person, returned, and stabbed both victims. (patch.com) Mitchell died from the attack, and the woman survived. Bay City News reported the case as one of the city’s prosecutions tied to violence in a street encampment in SoMa. (patch.com) The case moved slowly through court. The district attorney’s office said Duree was charged in January 2024, convicted on Dec. 12, 2025, and sentenced a little more than four months later. (sfdistrictattorney.org) Assistant District Attorney Ryan King prosecuted the case. Jenkins said after sentencing that she hopes the prison term gives “a measure of comfort” to Mitchell’s family and the surviving victim as they continue healing. (sfdistrictattorney.org) The sentence closes the criminal case against Duree, who has remained in custody since the prosecution. The victim’s name, the date of the attack, and the location on Mission Street are now fixed parts of the court record. (sfdistrictattorney.org)