A Kingston man was charged with second-degree murder after the body of a 58-year-old homeless man was found in a wooded area near a bike and pedestrian trail just off the Thruway Exit 19 traffic circle Sunday night.
According to town of Ulster police, at about 8 p.m. on Aug. 11, police got the call for a reporting the body. The victim was identified as Guy Andradez, 58, who had previously lived in Bloomington. Police launched an immediate investigation; personnel from numerous agencies set up a command center at the traffic circle and conducted an extensive search of the vicinity.
Police said their investigation led to the arrest of Lance J. Ferguson, 36, of Kingston. Police said he was found in the city of Kingston and arrested without incident.
Besides murder, Ferguson was charged with the felonies of fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, concealment of a human corpse and tampering with physical evidence.
Ferguson was arraigned on Monday night and held pending a court appearance Tuesday.
The thickets near the traffic circle and along the banks of the Esopus Creek have become a haven for some of Kingston’s homeless population. Some have pitched tents or even built crude dwellings in the area. On July 15, Andradez was arrested and charged with felony assault after, police said, he beat another man with a frying pan in the same wooded area off the path.