Notorious Jefferson County Crime



A record of some of the more notorious and well-known crimes in the county. A chronology of crime, in Jefferson County Notorious robbery of state militia money during the War of 1812 (1818).
 * Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Whittlesey

Ax murder of some men, and first official execution in Jefferson County (1828)
 * Henry Evans

Many high-ranking local politicians implicated in a plot to silence a Mason (1831)
 * The Disappearance of William Morgan

The ransacking and burning of the British ship Sir Robert Peel during The Patriots' War (1838)
 * Pirate Bill Johnston


 * A Triple Tragedy - Murder, Suicide and a Hanging (1874)

Two women murdered in Sackets Harbor by a Madison Barracks soldier (1897)
 * The Crouch-Daly Murders

Murdered a woman and became the first woman to die in the electric chair in New York, second woman to be executed in the state, only one from Jefferson County (1908)
 * Mary Farmer

Murder at an Interstate Route 81 rest-stop near Watertown (1964)
 * The Egan Triple Murder

Murdered at a rest stop on Wellesley Island, officer questioned (1968)
 * The Unsolved Murder of Irene Izak


 * Leo McClusky brutally Murders Holly Gilbert (1976)

Killed by David Kocyla and Wendell G. "Joe" Sweet (1983)
 * The Murder of Local Businessman John A. Petrus

Local Serial Killer (1972, 1988-1990)
 * Arthur Shawcross

Two year old disappeared from his yard, may or may not be a crime (May 1984)
 * The Unsolved Disappearance of Sean Evans

He believed the boy was 'evil' (November 1985)
 * Boy kills his friend while playing Dungeons & Dragons

Elderly brother and sister murdered on Gale Street by neighbor (January 1986)
 * The Murder of Beatrice Percy and Paul Williams by Charles Fedora

Murdered by a serial killer stationed at Fort Drum, body thrown into the Black River near Sackets Harbor (May 1987)
 * The Murder of Patsy Vineyard

Killed friend and ambushed and killed Dexter Police Chief Samuel Johnson, had shootout with police (September 1987)
 * Stuart Moss

Guinta sodomized, beat and strangled her, claimed it as an "accident" during rough sex (November 1987)
 * Susan Groff killed by boyfriend Philip Guinta

Killed by serial killer Gary Evans (1989)
 * The murder of Doug Berry

Strangled pregnant girlfriend Kathleen LaMarche (February 1990)
 * Richard Torturica

Murdered his step-children and wife, set the house on fire in Felts Mills (June 1990)
 * Terry Carr


 * The unsolved murder of Tina Hosmer Smith (August 1990)


 * 14-year old Jackie Dacusin lured and murdered by friends on Fort Drum (1992)

The murder and burning of a bartender by Daniel Dumas at Tanner's Fireside Inn [Rusted Route] (1994)
 * The Stabbing and Burning of Christine Vaadi

While watching the movie "Colors" about gang violence (September 1994)
 * Cherie Dobbin stabbed numerous times by "friends" Dustin Noftsier & Patrick McConnell

Beaten with a blunt instrument by Adrian Rusho (1995)
 * The Anna Petrus Murder in Adams

Body discovered many years later, estranged boyfriend Michael Foster arrested. (May 1996)
 * The Murder of Alicia Wasilewski

Shot to death outside of her Geico Office in Black River by Provard Jones & accomplice Travis Paul (March 1998)
 * The Bonnie Hector Murder


 * Michael P. Mayhew commits double-murder suicide when he shoots his girlfriend Mary C. Monroy and Kevin Geer (2004)

Severely wounded his ex-girlfriend's friend and kidnapped her (December 2004)
 * Van Waldick Shooting of Ryan Dorr, Kidnapping of Jessica Quinta

The double homicide of sisters Shannon St. Croix and Kelly Exford (2005)
 * Edundabira Ojo

The death of a local Fort Drum soldier in mysterious circumstances (March 2007)
 * Patrick Rust


 * EMS Worker Mark Bradley Davis Killed While Helping Suspect (January 30, 2009)

* More info needed (including dates, descriptions, and conviction info - but no Watertown Daily Times articles please!):
 * Murder of mentally handicapped girl in Brownville, during the 80's? Have names already, need confirmation, date and more info.
 * Murder of elderly Brownville resident by teenage "friend" and acquaintances *