Authorities say they have solved one of three recent homicides in Kingston. But officials have released few details, including the suspect’s name, citing concerns for the safety of witnesses in the case.
According to Ulster County District Attorney Dave Clegg, a sealed indictment handed up by an Ulster County grand jury last week charges a single suspect in connection with a homicide committed in Kingston. The sealed indictment means that prosecutors have presented evidence to a grand jury which found sufficient grounds to charge the suspect with a crime. Prosecutors may petition the court to keep the defendant’s name secret until they are brought into court and arraigned. Sealed indictments are usually sought in cases where the suspect is not already in custody or when there is a serious threat of witness intimidation or retaliation.
Clegg said this week he expects the suspect to be arraigned in Ulster County Court sometime this week or next. Clegg said that the arraignment process was complicated by the fact that “other authorities” were involved.
City police have struggled to make arrests in an unprecedented series of homicides and shootings that have plagued Kingston in recent months. The violence began on Oct. 24, 2019 when 27-year-old Daniel Thomas was shot in the face and killed near the corner of Prospect and Cedar streets. On Nov. 1, 2019, 36-year-old Myron Moye was killed inside his residence at 38 West O’Reilly St. On Feb. 11, 31-year-old alleged Bloods gang member Ashton Dixon was shot and killed at the Kingston Housing Authority’s Colonial Gardens apartment complex.
Clegg declined to say which homicide was the subject of the sealed indictment. In addition to the homicides, police are still seeking suspects in other incidents of gunplay in the city including the Dec. 29, 2019 non-fatal shooting of an unidentified man on Franklin Street and a Feb. 14 incident in which a residence at 34 St. James St. was riddled with gunfire. Police have said little about the spike in violence except that they believe the shootings were targeted attacks against individuals and that at least some of the gunplay stemmed from drug disputes.
The sealed indictment comes as police announced stepped-up cooperation between the KPD, the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office and state police. In a March 9 press release, Mayor Steve Noble said state troopers would dedicate vehicles to patrol Kingston daily. Meanwhile, three sheriff’s deputies will assist the KPD’s Special Investigations Unit. SIU Detectives typically work on cases involving drugs, gangs and guns.
“Right now there is an immediate need to ensure that every person in our community feels safe,” said Noble. “By bringing in additional officers to be a presence in our neighborhoods and others with specialized expertise, we are doing everything in our power to protect our residents and solve these recent crimes.”
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