20 years after Megan MacDonald’s death, new leads are bringing the picture into focus

Megan Macdonald would be 40 today. But Megan Macdonald never saw 21.

His slaying 20 years ago on March 14, 2003, was one of Orange County’s hottest cold cases, one that state police have not let go cold for years.

Every 73 seconds, McDonald’s bright smile calls for an answer from an electronic billboard along Route 17.

Every March, state police investigators say they get closer to solving the slaying of a lively 20-year-old man whose lifeless body was found March 15, 2003, on rural Bowser Road in Wallkill. They drilled more than 700 pieces Evidence of her last days, hours, minutes—and the whereabouts of the man responsible for her death.

Criminal Minds: The FBI goes inside the criminal mind of Megan McDonald’s suspected killer

The FBI created a profile of the prime suspect, a classic narcissist who craves control and attention, a man who was traumatized when Megan rejected him and struck out on his own, bludgeoning a 100-pound woman from behind as she sat in his car. .

Each year, the Times Herald-Record publishes an update on the case. Last year’s update More tips, and calls from all over the place, offer more sensitive DNA-testing equipment, a way to track down the digital footprint of a prime suspect all these years later through the use of new technology.

What’s the latest on the Megan McDonald case?

The case did not remain cold for much of this year.

State police investigator Michael Corletta said McDonald’s 40th birthday last May prompted new interviews, including with close associates of the suspect from the time of the killing who are still in New York.

They fill in the timeline and reveal important information about the suspect’s whereabouts on the night of the murder.

Interviews were conducted by members of the State Police, NYPD, and FBI in New York, Florida, and elsewhere. Several interviews shed light on a particular detail in a particular piece of evidence and helped the puzzle fall into place, said State Police Lt. Brad Natalizio, who has been working the case for five of his 20 years.

The story continues

While the suspect once clung tightly to his circle of friends, Natalizio said, that’s no longer the case. They no longer fear the consequences of sharing what they know.

What is the arrest for so long in the Megan Macdonald case?

Twenty years is a long time for his family to wait, but Natalizio says the arrest and conviction will be worth the time.

“We’re going to wait until it’s the best case we can,” he said. “As more information comes in, we will continue to dig and continue to do so.

“One of the problems with cold cases is that timing makes sense,” he added. “Sometimes memories fade and sometimes important people can be gone. However, I am not worried about it in this case. I feel that everything that has come our way has been a blessing. And it has been for the right reasons.”

Corletta said the investigation was a team effort, coordinated with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, the Middletown Police Department and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

The NYPD Detective Endowment Association and the FBI are each offering a $10,000 reward leading to the arrest of the suspect. MacDonald’s father, Dennis, was a retired NYPD homicide detective who died a year before his daughter.

Corletta added: “Unfortunately, sometimes these things take a little longer, but we’re working hard to keep pushing in the right direction.”

Anyone with information about the 2003 homicide of Megan McDonald can contact the New York State Police at 845-344-5370. [email protected].

Take a deep dive into the Megan McDonald case

Visit our archives For the full, compelling story of how state police pieced together Megan McDonald’s life and how it ended.

This article originally appeared on New York State Team: Megan Macdonald murder: New interviews, evidence 20 years later