FROM: HOLLEY CARNRIGHT
DATE: APRIL 30, 2019
RE: PRESS RELEASE – RYAN WILLIAMS CONVICTION
On April 30, 2019 a jury of 10 men and 2 women convicted Ryan Williams, 29, of Poughkeepsie, NY on charges of Murder in the second degree; Aggravated Vehicular Homicide (4 counts); Unlawful Fleeing from a Police Officer in the first degree, Assault in the second degree (2 counts) and Aggravated Operation of a Motor Vehicle in the first degree.
The case stems from an incident on July 1, 2018 on Route 299 in the Town of Lloyd where Williams, travelling in excess of 100 MPH, struck and killed Danielle Pecoraro of Lloyd while she was driving Easterly in a Ford 150 pickup truck. Ms. Pecoraro’s daughter and a passenger in a vehicle following the pickup truck were seriously injured.
In convicting the defendant of murder, the jury found that he acted with depraved indifference to human life. In essence, depraved indifference murder is defined as behavior so heinous that the perpetrator displays an utter disregard to human life.
Moments before the crash police received a civilian 911 complaint of a man operating a Porshe Cayenne in an erratic manner on Route 9W. The Town of Lloyd Police Department pulled Williams’ vehicle over as it turned from 9W onto Route 299. As the officer approached Williams’ vehicle, witnesses observed Williams throw a glass object out of the driver’s window and flee, at an excessively high rate of speed, from the officer. Travelling at speeds at times in excess of 120 MPH, and passing vehicles on the right shoulder, Williams approached the South Street intersection before losing control of his vehicle and killing Ms. Pecoraro. The force of the impact literally tore the Porsche in half and crushed the pickup truck.
Williams’ BAC at the time of the crash was .33.
Williams’ prior criminal history includes being sentenced to jail on three occasions for convictions for Fleeing from a Police Officer. The defendants prior Fleeing from a Police Officer convictions were not allowed to be presented to the jury.
Williams was represented by Carol Morgan who called no witnesses at the trial, nor did the defendant testify on his own behalf. The case was prosecuted by Sr. Assistant District Attorneys Joey Drillings and Lisa Bondarenka. The defendant will be scheduled for sentencing before County Court Judge Donald Williams at a future date.