Kendall Francois

Kendall Francois (July 26, 1971 – September 11, 2014) was an American serial killer from Poughkeepsie, New York, convicted of killing eight women, from 1996 to 1998.^[1] He was serving life in prison for his crimes at Wende Correctional Facility in Alden, New York, until his death. It is said that he tested positive for HIV but this was not said to have been related to his death.

Murders

In October 1996, Wendy Meyers, age 30, was reported missing to the Town of Lloyd Police, in Ulster County, New York—across the Hudson River from Poughkeepsie. Lloyd Police Sr. Investigator Gary VanKleeck and Investigator James Janso were assigned the Myers case. She was described as a white female, with a slim build, hazel eyes and short brown hair. She was last seen at the Valley Rest Motel in Lloyd.

In December 1996, Gina Barone, 29, was reported missing by her mother, Patricia Barone. Gina was white with a small build, brown hair and an eagle tattooed on her back. On her right arm she had another tattoo that read simply “POP.” She was last seen November 29, 1996, in Poughkeepsie on a street corner, apparently having a dispute with her boyfriend, at the time, and getting out of his car around 2am to look for a customer so she could get a drug "fix."^[2]

In January 1997, Kathleen Hurley, 47, disappeared. She was last seen walking along Main Street in the downtown area of Poughkeepsie. Hurley, like the others, was white, had brown hair and a small build. The letters “CJ” were tattooed on her left biceps. The same month, City of Poughkeepsie Police, following an extensive investigation, placed Francois' home at 99 Fulton Avenue under surveillance. Area prostitutes reported that he was notoriously rough during sex.

In March 1997, a woman named Catherine Marsh was reported missing by her mother. She was last observed November 11, 1996, also in Poughkeepsie. Four months had passed since she was last seen alive. Like the other women, she was white, small build and brown hair.

A month later, Poughkeepsie Police made a decision to contact the F.B.I. for help. Although the F.B.I. investigators were interested, they were limited by the circumstances of the case: in order to establish a profile of a suspect, they needed a crime scene.

In November 1997, Mary Healey Giaccone was reported missing. This report was actually initiated by the police. Her mother died the previous month. Her father, a retired New York State corrections officer, came to the police to ask for help in locating Mary so he could tell his daughter of her mother's death. Police soon discovered that she was last seen in February 1997 on the same Poughkeepsie streets as some of the others.

On June 12, 1998, Sandra Jean French, a 51-year-old mother of three, disappeared. Her daughters reported they discovered her car three blocks from Francois' home.

In August 1998, Catina Newmaster disappeared. The circumstances fit with many of those of the other missing women: she frequented the same streets of downtown Poughkeepsie, where she was last seen, and physically resembled the other women who had been reported missing.

Apprehension

Kendall Francois' Home at 99 Fulton Avenue in December 1998, three months after his arrest

On September 1, 1998, Kendall Francois was strangling an abducted prostitute when she became free and fled his home at 99 Fulton Avenue. Later that afternoon, City of Poughkeepsie Police Detective Skip Mannain and Town of Poughkeepsie Police Detective Bob McCready were in their unmarked car preparing to hand out flyers asking the public for help in the Catina Newmaster disappearance. As the detectives pulled into the same gas station that Francois just left, Deborah Lownsdale came up to the car and told them that a woman, who was now walking away, said that she was just assaulted. The detectives quickly located the woman, who confirmed the attack. She was brought into the police station where she filed a complaint against Francois.

That same afternoon, the police returned to talk with Francois about this most recent attack. They asked him to come into the police department to discuss the report. He agreed and was taken to headquarters. Over the next several hours, Francois eventually made many admissions regarding the disappearance of the women. He was arrested and charged with a single count of murder in the death of Newmaster. A search warrant was drawn up and on September 2, 1998, shortly after midnight, a team of detectives, the district attorney, EMS crews, crime scene processors, and police officers searched Francois' home and discovered many bodies of his victims.

Trial and sentence

Two days after his arrest, Francois was indicted for the murder of Catina Newmaster. On September 9, he appeared in court, and a plea of "not guilty" was entered on his behalf. A month later, on October 13, he was charged with eight counts of first degree murder, eight counts of second degree murder, and attempted murder.

Under New York State law at the time of the trial, the District Attorney was given the option of pursuing the death penalty for first degree murder. Though the D.A. could make the decision to ask for that sentence, it could only be imposed by the jury which had heard the case; Francois' attorneys chose to plead guilty on December 23, before the D.A. had decided whether to seek the death penalty, thereby avoiding trial by jury and therefore the possibility of execution.

On February 11, 1999, the Dutchess County Court ruled that the guilty plea could not be accepted. Later it was discovered that Francois contracted HIV from one of his victims. His defense team took the case to the State Court of Appeals, which upheld his guilty plea in a ruling in March 2000.

On August 11, 2000, Judge Thomas Dolan formally sentenced Kendall Francois to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He was incarcerated in Attica Correctional Facility.

He died of apparent natural causes on September 11, 2014, at the age of 43.^[3]

Identified victims

References

External links

• Entry at murderpedia.org