Queens Subway Attacker Sentenced to Life in Prison After Brutal Hammer Assault

In a decisive moment of justice, William Blount, 61, was sentenced on Thursday, July 11, 2025, to 25 years to life in prison for a savage hammer assault on a woman at a Queens subway station, an attack that shocked New Yorkers and was captured on chilling surveillance footage.

Blount was found guilty of repeatedly striking 57-year-old Nina Rothschild in the head with a hammer, hitting her 13 times during a violent robbery in February 2022. Rothschild, who miraculously survived the attack, is a former research scientist with the New York City Health Department and has since made a full recovery.

The assault occurred at the Queens Plaza subway station, where Rothschild was returning home from work. Blount, seen using a cane, followed her down the stairs, kicked her from behind, and then launched the brutal hammer attack before fleeing with her bag. The unprovoked violence left Rothschild with multiple skull fractures, requiring intensive surgery and a long road to recovery.

Prosecutors described Blount as a career criminal, highlighting his extensive record that includes prior convictions for kidnapping, robbery, and attempted robbery, spanning decades. His violent history and the savagery of this attack contributed to the court’s decision to impose the maximum sentence allowed by law.

During Thursday’s sentencing hearing, Rothschild faced her attacker for the first time and delivered a powerful victim impact statement.

"What were you thinking on the night of February 24, 2022?" she asked, directing her words at Blount, who remained emotionless throughout. “If confronted with someone with a hammer, most people would give up their bags. Why on earth did you come up behind me, fracture my skull multiple times with a hammer, then grab my bag?”

She added that had Blount simply committed robbery without the assault, he likely would have faced a lighter sentence.

Both Rothschild and prosecutors requested the maximum punishment. The presiding judge complied, noting the attack’s brutality and expressing amazement that Rothschild had survived.

Now 61, Rothschild has resumed her life with a spirit of resilience. After the hearing, she shared her plans to travel and embrace life’s next chapter.

“I am in the early planning stages of a September vacation, and other than that, I'm ready for the adventures that life may bring,” she said. “It was freeing to finally face him.”

This landmark sentence brings a measure of closure to a case that highlighted both the random violence faced by New Yorkers and the enduring strength of survivors.