Man Sentenced For Bay Area Fatal Stabbing
- San Francisco Superior Court Judge Eric Flemming sentenced Dennis Duree, 41, to 100 years to life on April 23 after his conviction in a 2023 Mission Street stabbing that killed Brandon Mitchell. - Prosecutors said Duree stabbed Mitchell, 45, and a 38-year-old woman near Washburn Alley at about 5:38 a.m. on Dec. 28, 2023, after accusing both acquaintances of taking his drugs. - The sentence followed a December 2025 jury verdict finding Duree guilty of first-degree murder, attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon. (sfdistrictattorney.org)
Dennis Duree, 41, was sentenced Thursday to 100 years to life for a 2023 Mission Street stabbing that killed Brandon Mitchell and wounded a woman. (sfdistrictattorney.org) San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said Judge Eric Flemming imposed the sentence on April 23, 2026, after a jury convicted Duree in December. (sfdistrictattorney.org 1) (sfdistrictattorney.org 2) Prosecutors said the attack happened at about 5:38 a.m. on Dec. 28, 2023, near Washburn Alley and Mission Street in South of Market. Mitchell was killed, and a 38-year-old woman survived. (sfdistrictattorney.org) (sfgate.com) The case centered on an encampment on the 1300 block of Mission Street, where prosecutors said Duree had been loitering for hours before joining the two victims on a mattress. (sfdistrictattorney.org) According to trial evidence, Duree smoked “dope,” fell asleep repeatedly, dropped it, and then accused the two acquaintances of stealing it. He walked into a nearby alley, spoke with an unidentified person, came back, and started stabbing. (sfdistrictattorney.org 1) (sfdistrictattorney.org 2) Jurors found Duree guilty of first-degree murder, first-degree attempted murder, and assault with a deadly weapon, and also found true the allegations that he personally used a deadly weapon. (sfdistrictattorney.org) (patch.com) The verdict came down on Dec. 12, 2025, and a sentencing hearing was later set for Jan. 29, 2026, before the prison term was imposed this week. (sfdistrictattorney.org) (patch.com) Jenkins said the sentence “reflects the gravity” of the crimes, while Assistant District Attorney Ryan King said the victims’ families showed “great strength and patience” through the case. (sfdistrictattorney.org) The San Francisco District Attorney’s Office said its investigators, victim advocate Ruben Marquez, and the San Francisco Police Department homicide unit worked the case from arrest through trial and sentencing. (sfdistrictattorney.org) More than two years after the stabbing, the case closed this week with a life sentence and a surviving victim whose attack was charged as attempted murder. (sfdistrictattorney.org)
