# Kendall Francois

Kendall L. Francois (July 26, 1971 – September 11, 2014) was an American serial killer convicted of killing eight women in Poughkeepsie, New York, between 1996 and 1998.

## Early years

Francois wrestled and played football at Arlington High School. Upon graduation in 1989, he enlisted in the United States Army, where he completed basic training at Fort Sill. After four years in the Army, Francois was discharged due to obesity issues, as he weighed 320 pounds (145 kg) at 6 ft 4 in (192 cm). He returned to New York, and enrolled at Dutchess Community College as a liberal arts major.
In 1994, while attending DCC, Francois took a job as a school aide at Arlington Middle School, first as part-time custodian and later as a student monitor from April 1996 to January 1997. His stench earned him the nickname “Stinky” from the students. Despite his smell, it was noted that Francois behaved inappropriately with female students, such as telling the girls inappropriate sexual jokes, hugging them, or touching their hair. Francois left his employment, claiming he was going to work at Anderson School, a special education institution for mentally disabled children, in nearby Staatsburg, but the school did not confirm his hiring.

## Murders

Francois' first three victims were sex workers for whom Francois was a repeat customer. They also all shared similar physical appearances: white, slight build, dark hair. He picked up his first victim, 30-year-old Wendy Meyers, at the local Valley Rest Motel on October 24, 1996. During sex, Francois began choking her. Once she fell unconscious but was not dead, Francois drowned Meyers in a bathtub. A month later (November 29), he killed 29-year-old prostitute Gina Barone in his car. Days later, he claimed his third victim, Catherine "Cathy" Marsh, who was pregnant at the time of her murder. He placed all three bodies side by side in the attic of his home on 99 Fulton Avenue, in which Francois lived with his parents and younger sister.
Marsh was not reported missing until March 7, 1997, by which time Francois had already claimed his fourth & fifth victims, 47-year-old Kathleen Hurley & 29-year-old Mary Healey Giaccone (Giaccone was not reported missing until November 13, 1997). Poughkeepsie Police Department Detective Bill Siegrist inquired with the Neighborhood Recovery Unit (the department's narcotics unit). It was reported back to Lt. Siegrist that some of the Main Street prostitutes complained about a local man (Francois) who was rough with the girls and was violent during sex.
Francois was known by local law enforcement for assaulting prostitutes. Detectives began surveilling Francois' home and had a wired prostitute meet with Francois. Little useful information was obtained, however, they noticed that Francois had a routine: mornings he would use the family car to drive his mother to her place of work at a nearby psychiatric center, where she was a nurse, after which he would cruise the streets of downtown Poughkeepsie.
In early January 1998, Poughkeepsie Police interviewed Francois about the missing women, but it led to another dead end. Later that month, Francois was arrested for assaulting a prostitute in his room after a dispute over money. Francois punched her in the face, knocking her down onto the bed, then got on top of her and choked her with his bare hands. Francois was arrested, and on May 5, he pled guilty to third-degree assault, a misdemeanor for which he spent 15 days in jail.
It wasn't until June 1998 that Francois claimed his sixth confirmed victim, 51-year-old Sandra Jean French. She was reported missing on June 12 in Dover, New York. Her car was found abandoned in Poughkeepsie, three blocks from the Francois home. On August 26, 25-year-old Catina Newmaster vanished. Like all of Francois' other victims, she was white, slight of build, brown hair, and was last seen in downtown Poughkeepsie.

## Arrest

On September 1, 1998, Francois brought a local drug addict named Christine Sala to his home. Francois pulled the car into the garage and demanded sex from her. After she told him no, he punched her in the face and held her by her throat. He then pulled her out of the car by her hair and demanded that she perform oral sex on him, repeatedly saying “I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you.”
Afterward, Sala convinced Francois to drive her back to Main Street, where he had picked her up. They got into his car and drove to a local Sunoco station, but just before pulling in, Sala jumped from the car and ran away. Detectives Skip Mannain & Bob McCready happened to be in the area handing out flyers about the Catina Newmaster disappearance. Witness Deborah Lownsdale approached their unmarked police car, and told them that a woman, who was now walking away, said that she was just assaulted. The detectives quickly located Sala, who confirmed the attack. She was brought into the police station where she filed a complaint against Francois.
Police returned to Francois' home that day to talk with him about his attack upon Sala. He agreed to go to the police department headquarters to discuss the report. Over the next few hours, Francois eventually made many admissions regarding the disappearance of the women. He was arrested and charged with a single count of murder in the death of Catina Newmaster. A search warrant was quickly drawn up & signed, and shortly after midnight, a team of detectives, the district attorney, EMS crews, crime scene processors & police officers entered the Francois home at 99 Fulton Ave.
Police reports indicate that the rooms and hallways of the house were filled with garbage, and the interior smelled putrid. Empty bottles, rotting food, piles of clothes, old newspapers and broken furniture were strewn everywhere. The cabinets, sinks and closets were also filled with junk. The stench was so overpowering that investigators had to put on anti-putrefaction masks before entering the property.
One of the bodies discovered in the house was 34-year-old Audrey Pugliese, who had not been reported missing, bringing the confirmed death toll to eight.

## Trial and sentencing

On September 9, 1998, Francois entered a plea of "not guilty" before Judge Thomas J. Dolan in Dutchess County Court. In his next appearance on October 13, he was formally charged with eight counts of first-degree murder, eight counts of second-degree murder and one count of attempted assault. Francois pleaded not guilty and laughed when the families of the victims heckled him in court.
On December 23, Francois' lawyer attempted to enter a guilty plea before District Attorney William V. Grady could formally file his intent to seek the death penalty. Judge Dolan originally declined to allow Francois to enter such a plea. The defense team appealed the decision and the matter headed over to the State Court of Appeals. The Appeals Court ruled to allow the guilty plea.
Francois showed no emotion and seemed distant from the proceedings. Francois showed little remorse during his trial, and actually commented that “Killing seemed easier than getting into a relationship.” On August 7, 2000, Francois was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty to eight counts of first degree murder and eight counts of second degree murder. The plea agreement allowed him to avoid a possible death sentence.
Francois was incarcerated in Attica Correctional Facility until shortly before his death. He died in the Wende Correctional Facility on September 11, 2014, at the age of 43. The official cause of death was "AIDS related illness,” as it was revealed in his trial in 2000 that he tested positive for HIV/AIDS in 1995.

## Victims

| Name | Age | Date of death |
| Wendy Meyers | 30 | c. October 1996 |
| Gina Barone | 29 | c. November 1996 |
| Catherine Marsh | 31 | c. November 1996 |
| Kathleen Hurley | 47 | c. January 1997 |
| Mary Healey Giaccone | 29 | c. February 1997 |
| Sandra Jean French | 51 | c. June 1998 |
| Audrey Pugliese | 34 | c. August 1998 |
| Catina Newmaster | 25 | c. August 1998 |
On October 9, 1997, 27-year-old African American sex worker Michelle Eason was reported missing in the city of Poughkeepsie. She too was last seen in the downtown area. Though he admitted to knowing her, Francois denied killing her, and he was never charged in her disappearance. Her case remains unsolved.