Kendall Francois, known as the ‘Poughkeepsie Killer‘, led a terrifying double life. By day, he was a school monitor. By night, he murdered sex workers. For two years, the small town of Poughkeepsie, New York, was gripped by fear.
A Town in Fear & the Killer Giant
In 1997, Poughkeepsie was a quiet town with a population of 40,000. Residents began to notice people going missing. However, only the police and the victims’ acquaintances were aware of the extent of the disappearances. It took a year for authorities to identify Kendall Francois as the killer.
Kendall Francois was an imposing figure, standing 6’4″ and weighing 250 pounds. He worked as a student monitor at Arlington Middle School, where students called him “Stinky” due to his odor. Complaints from parents about his hygiene were common.
After his arrest on September 2, 1998, it was revealed that his odor was due to the decomposing bodies in his home. Dubbed the “Poughkeepsie Killer” by the media, Francois’ gruesome crimes shocked the community.
Born on July 26, 1971, in Poughkeepsie, Francois played football in high school. After graduating in 1989, he joined the U.S. Army instead of pursuing sports. He completed Basic Training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, in 1990 and returned home in 1993 to attend Duchess County Community College.
Francois declared a liberal arts major and continued his education until 1998. By then, he was employed as a hall and detention monitor at Arlington Middle School. Teachers reported his inappropriate behavior with female students, including sexual jokes and touching their hair.
Unbeknownst to his colleagues and family, Francois had begun killing women and hiding their bodies in his house. The smell of feces and decaying bodies permeated his home. Despite living with his parents and sister, the family either ignored or were too afraid to investigate the source of the stench.
First Victims
The killing spree began on October 24, 1996, with 30-year-old Wendy Meyers. Francois solicited her for sex at the Valley Rest Motel, strangled her, and left her body in his attic. On November 29, he killed 29-year-old Gina Barone, breaking her neck and placing her body next to Meyers’.
Francois’ next victims included pregnant Cathy Marsh, Kathleen Hurley in January 1997, Mary Healy Giaccone in November 1997, and Sandra Jean French in June 1998. The police, baffled and horrified, sought FBI assistance. However, without a crime scene, a serial killer profile was not feasible.
The Investigation
In the summer of 1998, Francois killed Audrey Pugliese and Catina Newmaster. The police found a clue linking Newmaster to Giaccone, leading to increased patrols. On September 1, 1998, detectives Skip Mannain and Bob McCready distributed flyers about Newmaster’s disappearance. They were approached by Deborah Lownsdale, who reported an assault nearby.
The woman identified Francois as her assailant. He soon confessed to Newmaster’s murder. On September 2, 1998, a search warrant led investigators to Francois’ house, where they discovered the bodies.
Trial and Sentence
Francois was charged with multiple counts of first-degree and second-degree murder and attempted assault on October 13, 1998. The district attorney sought the death penalty, but New York State law required a jury decision. In February, Francois learned he had contracted HIV from one of his victims. On August 11, 1998, he was sentenced to life in prison.
Kendall Francois’ horrific crimes were later depicted in the 2007 film The Poughkeepsie Tapes. He died of cancer on September 11, 2014, while serving his sentence at Attica Correctional Facility.
The Poughkeepsie Killer’ s case remains a chilling reminder of the potential for evil to hide in plain sight. His ability to live a double life for so long, even with the bodies of his victims in his home, continues to shock until today. The Poughkeepsie Killer’s story is a stark example of the darkness that can lurk beneath a seemingly ordinary exterior.
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