Neighbors share new details about Saugerties woman allegedly killed by teen
Residents say the victim lived nearby, was often seen walking and jogging in the area and describe the crime scene as a vacant home.
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Neighbors are sharing new details about the woman allegedly killed by a 15-year-old boy in a homicide that has shaken a quiet Saugerties neighborhood.
News 12 spent Tuesday on John Shults Road, where police tape still surrounds the property that police say they found a woman murdered inside over the weekend.
Neighbors say the woman lived nearby and was well known for walking and jogging in the area.
Saugerties Police say they received information about a possible homicide in the Hamlet of West Camp Sunday, shortly after 1 p.m., and an investigation ensued with the assistance of the New York State Police, Ulster County Child Advocacy Center.
Neighbors say the crime scene is an abandoned, vacant home and that the Saugerties teen charged in the case was known to “camp out” there.
“Very unsettling what’s happened here. And it’s very concerning being that I live three miles away,” one neighbor told News 12.
Police say the boy is being held in a secure, juvenile detention facility without bail following his arraignment as a youthful offender at the Town of Saugerties Justice Court.
Authorities have not released his name or said what his relationship may have been to the victim. They have not disclosed a possible motive.
“It’s a quiet area. You don’t expect something like this,” one neighbor said.
Another neighbor said he knew the woman personally and told News 12 he heard what sounded like a gunshot around the same time police say the woman was killed. He said the victim had previously paid the teen charged in the case to walk her dogs.
News 12 also spoke with the adult son of the last family to live at the home. He said the property is in foreclosure and that his family moved out about a year ago.
According to him, the house has been vacant ever since.
The Saugerties Central School District also acknowledged the case in a letter to families, saying a student from the school community is involved and that there is no threat to students or staff.
Authorities say additional charges are expected but have released few details about the homicide. Police have not identified the victim, or said whether she knew the teen charged in the case.
Police and the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office have not responded to News 12’s requests for additional information.
