Former Philadelphia homicide detective given 6½ to 13 years in prison for sexually assaulting a mother and sister of two murder victims

Detective Donald Suchinsky was supposed to be helping a grieving mother get justice after her son was fatally shot in the head in November 2020.

Instead of solving the crime, Suchinsky started asking her for photos of herself and suggested they go out together.

And when the woman drove to Philadelphia Police Headquarters, then located at Seventh and Race Streets, Suchinsky got in her car to help her find a parking spot, then groped her, putting his hand down her pants and digitally penetrating her, she said.

“My head got so confused,” the woman said Thursday at his sentencing. “I didn’t know what to do.”

Her son’s killer was never found.

Common Pleas Court Judge Giovanni O. Campbell sentenced Suchinsky to 6½ to 13 years in prison — the maximum allowed under the plea agreement — for assaulting that woman, as well as the sister of another murder victim. (The Inquirer does not identify victims of sexual assault without their permission.)

“The negative impact this case had on public trust and the justice system is no small matter,” Campbell said.

» READ MORE: ‘I was frozen’: The mother of a Philadelphia homicide victim says a detective sexually assaulted her in her car

Suchinsky, a 34-year-veteran of the department, was placed on restricted duty in 2021 after allegations of sexual misconduct were made against him. He was fired after the first round of charges were filed in February 2023.

He was charged again in May 2023 after the second woman came forward and alleged he had assaulted her at least 10 times. That woman did not speak at his sentencing.

Suchinsky, 60, told the court he took “full responsibility” for his actions and apologized to both victims and their families, as well as his parents, who are in their 90s, saying he had failed to follow their example.

“My actions do not reflect the hardworking men and woman of the Philadelphia Police Department,” he said.

Suchinsky also apologized to his fiancée, who he said had “graciously forgiven me.”

“I will never be a repeat offender,” Suchinsky said, tearing up at times. “I hope to be seen as a person capable of change.”

Assistant District Attorney Parker Nelson asked Campbell to impose the maximum allowable sentence for two counts each of indecent assault by forcible compulsion and official oppression.

Suchinsky brazenly emailed the mother from his city and private email accounts, asking “what kind of scrubs she was wearing,” Nelson said, and assaulted her only two weeks after her son was killed.

“He is the kind of person who will prey on vulnerable women,” Nelson said. “And he can do that with or without a badge.”

Campbell said he accepted Suchinsky’s apology as sincere, but that it was outweighed by the many aggravating factors in the case, which he said “cannot be overstated.”

Outside the Criminal Justice Center, District Attorney Larry Krasner described the case as “particularly heinous and particularly upsetting.” He said anyone who has been victimized by Suchinsky should contact his office’s Special Investigations Unit.

“Please come forward,” he said. “We will hear you, we will talk to you, we will assist and investigate, and we will keep you safe.”