Wallkill man charged with murder for allegedly hiring a hitman to kill his neighbor
Enoch Lowe, 25, is accused of paying Damonte Stansberry $15,000 and supplying an undisclosed amount of marijuana to fatally stab 52-year-old Jeffrey Harris, according to the criminal complaint obtained by News 12.
A Town of Wallkill man is now charged with first-degree murder for allegedly hiring a hitman to kill his neighbor in 2022.
Enoch Lowe, 25, is accused of making a deal with Damonte Stansberry to pay $15,000 and supply an undisclosed amount of marijuana to fatally stab 52-year-old Jeffrey Harris, according to the criminal complaint obtained by News 12.
"They worked together in order to have the victim in this case killed," says Orange County District Attorney Dave Hoovler. "There's a great deal of evidence that was recovered at Mr. Enoch's house and at Mr. Stansberry's residence that connects both of them to the crime, as well as some digital evidence.
Stansberry was charged in connection to the murderer shortly after Harris was found deceased in his backyard on Brookline Avenue, Oct. 30, 2022.
Harris' loved ones told News 12 immediately following the slaying that Harris was afraid of a neighbor who he had a history of police involvement with, including orders of protection. Authorities, however, never named Lowe as a suspect until his arrest on Tuesday.
"Most significantly in this case, there's a documented history of a neighbor dispute and we believe that was the motive for the case. There were previous court proceedings between the two of them," Hoovler says.
Prosecutors say Lowe acted as a lookout for Stansberry and texted him when the victim was alone in his backyard and vulnerable to an attack.
Harris was found stabbed multiple times and was working on his fence when he was killed, according to prosecutors.
Stansberry was scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 20, but his case was postponed, and no new court date has been set.
Lowe was arraigned and is being held at Orange County Jail pending further court proceedings. If he's found guilty, Hoovler says Lowe could face life in prison without parole.
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