Isaac Argro, 26, was sentenced Tuesday to 25 years to life in prison for the murder of his ex-girlfriend Azsia Johnson, who he fatally shot in June 2022 as she pushed their infant daughter in a stroller. Argro smirked and offered a brief, apologetic statement in court before being handed down the sentence.
"I know what I’m about to say doesn’t really mean anything to anybody, but I just wanted to say that I’m sorry for whatever I did or whatnot," Argro told the Manhattan courtroom. "I know I can’t bring nobody back."
Johnson’s mother, Lisa Desort, 59, described Argro as a "coward" and spoke of the devastating impact of the murder on her family. "It’s been the worst four years of our life," she said, addressing the judge. "And this is how you repay my family?"
Prosecutors stated that Argro had harassed, stalked, and threatened Johnson and her family for months leading up to the killing. He had previously beaten Johnson, an aspiring pediatric nurse, to the point where she almost miscarried. At the time of her death, Johnson was living in a domestic-violence shelter in East Harlem with their 3-month-old daughter, Khloe, and her older child, Kenzo.
According to prosecutors, Argro lured Johnson to East 95th Street between Lexington and Third Avenues under the pretense of bringing her items for their baby. Instead, he approached her wearing a black ski mask and shot her in the head at close range while she was pushing their infant daughter in the stroller. He then fled the scene and reportedly threatened Johnson’s family, telling them they were "next."
A jury found Argro guilty of murder in fewer than two hours. Desort told the court that her grandchildren, Khloe and Kenzo, were now orphans and their lives would never be the same.
Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Gregory Carro called the murder a "senseless domestic violence killing," stating that Argro's motive was not related to the child but stemmed from an inability to accept Johnson's independence. "You can’t stand having an independent, strong willed woman to defy you. That was pretty obvious," Carro said to Argro.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who embraced Desort outside the courthouse, said in a statement that Johnson "was just beginning to ‘rebuild her life’ when she was killed. Her dreams of moving forward were brought to a horrific end when her ex, Isaac Argro, executed her in cold blood in front of their infant daughter."
Desort expressed that Argro showed "no remorse" in court, calling his sentencing a day the family had long awaited. The victim's family applauded in the courtroom after the sentence was delivered.