Gary Charles Evans: The Troy Man Who Murdered His Own Friends

Troubled Beginnings

The chilling story of Gary Charles Evans, a man whose life spiraled from petty theft to gruesome murder, still sends shivers through the streets of Troy. Born on October 7, 1954, Evans was a product of a tumultuous childhood, marked by a violent father and a mother battling depression. By the age of eight, he had already stolen jewelry worth $1,000, foreshadowing a criminal trajectory that would end in tragedy.

A Path of Crime

In the 1970s, Evans became known for his brazen thefts, often operating alongside childhood friends Michael Falco and Timothy Rysedorph. They transformed their shared apartment in Troy into a hub for stealing antiques, amassing a small fortune. However, jealousy and greed began to fester within Evans. In the summer of 1985, convinced that Falco was pocketing their stolen proceeds, he brutally murdered him in their apartment. Constructing a makeshift silencer, Evans shot Falco before dismembering the body with a chainsaw. The remains were buried in a sleeping bag beneath his sister’s home in Florida.

A Descent into Paranoia

As guilt consumed him, Evans emerged as a prime suspect in 1997, shortly after another shocking murder. Fearing that Rysedorph would betray him, Evans killed his accomplice, dismembering Rysedorph’s body and disposing of it in a wooded area. After several months evading law enforcement, Evans surrendered on May 27, 1998, confessing to both murders.

A Fatal Escape

His journey took an unforeseen turn during his transport to court on August 14. While traveling to Troy and passing over the Menands Bridge, Evans, despite being shackled, utilized a secret key concealed in his nose to free himself. He then broke a window of the transport van and leapt out. Although police quickly cornered him, he managed to reach the fence and jumped into the Hudson River, suffering severe head injuries upon hitting the shallow water. Consequently, his death was deemed a suicide.