(RepublicanPress.org) – A New York man faces a sentence of 15 to 25 years in prison for the shooting death of a 20-year-old woman riding in a car that mistakenly turned into his driveway while the occupants were looking for another house. Juror found 65-year-old Kevin Monahan guilty of committing second-degree murder after deliberating for less than an hour at the conclusion of his two-week trial.
The case involved the April 15, 2023, death of Kaylin Gillis. According to a press release issued by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) and various media reports, deputies responded to a call about a woman who had reportedly been shot. The vehicle had driven a few miles away from the scene of the shooting incident before calling for assistance due to a lack of mobile service in the area.
Homeowner found guilty of murdering Kaylin Gillis when she accidentally pulled into his NY driveway https://t.co/mqEz78fkTD pic.twitter.com/G06PQASR2S
— New York Post (@nypost) January 24, 2024
When deputies arrived at the vehicle’s location, they discovered that Gillis had been shot in the neck by a shotgun while riding as a passenger in a car driven by her boyfriend. Sadly, first responders declared her dead at the scene.
The deputies’ initial investigation indicated that Monahan had fired the fatal shot, and they traveled to his home to question him about the incident. The WCSO alleged that he refused to cooperate or exit his residence to speak with law enforcement officers. Instead, he told them to leave him alone, that he wanted to go back to sleep.
Eventually, officers from the New York State Police’s Special Operations Response Team were able to place Monahan under arrest. He was subsequently held without bail.
Local news outlets reported that Monahan initially blamed the incident on hunters. Court documents indicated he told investigators that sportsmen frequently fire their weapons in the area.
However, at trial, Monahan told a completely different story. He claimed he fired a warning shot at the car after mistaking its occupants as a roving gang of marauders. Then, he said he tripped over a couple of exposed nails on his wooden porch and dropped his shotgun, causing it to misfire.
It remains unclear when the court scheduled Monahan’s sentencing hearing.
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