Hudson Valley Man Admits To Killing 81-Year-Old Woman
There is a second guilty plea following the gruesome murder of an 81-year-old Hudson Valley woman.
On Tuesday in Orange County Court, 22-year-old Devin A. Giordano pleaded guilty to murder, burglary, tampering with physical evidence and arson for his role in a botched burglary which resulted in the death 81-year-old Helen Mills in her Village of Goshen home on August 2, 2014.
According to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, Giordano admitted that he and his then girlfriend, 18-year-old Jennifer P. Molyneaux of Wallkill, entered Mills’ home to steal money from the elderly victim.
When Mills refused, she was killed by Molyneaux and Giordano set the house on fire to destroy evidence.
On February 25, 2015, Molyneaux confessed she entered Mills’ home to steal money, placed her hands on the elderly woman’s throat, hit her and smothered her with a pillow, before gasoline was spread around the house and it was set ablaze.
Molyneaux also said she took drugs before the murder.
An autopsy performed on Mills showed she died from blunt force trauma wounds to her head and throat injuries that are consistent with her having been beaten and strangled, officials say.
“It is utterly reprehensible that anyone would kill a defenseless, elderly, woman in her own bedroom just to get money,” said Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler stated. “There is a nexus between illicit narcotics and violent crime. We must hold accountable those who violently victimize defenseless citizens to get money to feed their drug habits. Even though Helen Mills knew nothing about heroin, the opioid epidemic took her life also.”
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office plan to recommend 22 years to life prison sentences when both are scheduled to be sentenced on March 24.
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