After main suspect's acquitted, what's next for the Megan McDonald murder investigation?
"I think that gave false hope to a grieving family," ex-prosecutor and law professor Rick Trunfio said. "Unfortunately now there's nowhere to go in this ... After this debacle, I'm not sure they'll ever get justice for their daughter, and that's a shame."
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Some legal experts are criticizing New York State Police investigators whose top suspect in the Megan McDonald murder case, Edward Holley, 45, of Wawayanda, was just acquitted.
The outcome raises a question: Where does the investigation into McDonald’s murder go from here?
State Police have stayed silent, though Megan’s family has suggested they consider the investigation effectively closed.
News 12 spoke with several attorneys who followed the first and second murder trials of Holley. One common opinion is that special prosecutors Julia Cornachio and Laura Murphy did not present a coherent case that Holley murdered McDonald in 2003 in the Town of Wallkill. Some jurors voiced similar criticisms.
Former Onondaga prosecutor Rick Trunfio went further Friday in a Zoom interview. He said State Police arrested and charged Holley based on insufficient evidence.
Police have contended Holley attacked Megan in her car and bludgeoned her several times with a blunt object, caving in her face and head. No murder weapon was recovered. Prosecutors presented little physical evidence, and there was no clarity on where the murder happened or who else may have been involved. Those are the makings of a weak case, Trunfio said.
“I think that gave false hope to a grieving family,” he said. “Unfortunately now there’s nowhere to go in this ... After this debacle, I’m not sure they’ll ever get justice for their daughter, and that’s a shame.”
Megan’s family posted on Facebook on Thursday that they view the outcome positively and thanked State Police.
“There is a significant difference between being found ‘not guilty’ and ‘innocent,’” the post read. “Our family understands this distinction. After decades of seeking the truth, we now have the answer to who took Megan from us.”
News 12 reached out to State Police to ask where the murder investigation goes from here, whether they will revisit the case and whether new investigators will be assigned.
A spokesperson eventually responded, saying the agency “will not be providing any comment on this matter.”
