A 35-year-old murderer who killed a father visiting his son at a Marist College event last year was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday.
Roy Johnson Jr. was sentenced to 58 years to life in state prison for the shooting of Paul Kutz, at a Marriott hotel in Poughkeepsie, in October 2022.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Kutz was staying at the Marriott for the weekend while visiting his son during Marist College’s “Family Weekend,” an event where families and students come together for a weekend of activities.
Gunshots were fired both outside and inside of the hotel. Kutz was an innocent bystander who got caught in the crossfire when Johnson Jr. shot him in the chest with a .9-mm semi-automatic handgun.
Johnson Jr. was found guilty of murder, criminal possession of a weapon, and reckless endangerment in May.
“We are extremely pleased that Judge [Edward] McLoughlin sentenced the defendant in accordance with our recommendation,” Dutchess County Chief Assistant District Matthew Weishaupt said in a statement after the sentencing, according to CBS New York.
“Everyone involved in this case deserves a great deal of credit for remaining focused on the task at hand. It was truly an outstanding job.”
Johnson Jr. reportedly showed no emotion in court as the victim’s wife, Nathalie Kutz, read a victim impact statement, detailing the heart-wrenching ordeal her family has been through since her husband’s death.
“I stand here today a broken person. My heart is broken with the overwhelming grief that I will never see Paul again,” Nathalie said. “I have nightmares of what Paul went through that morning and the terror he must have felt. My boys live in a world that no longer feels safe or peaceful to them.”
Prior to sentencing, Judge Edward McLoughlin said the defendant committed unfathomable crimes and didn’t bother to turn his life around after committing previous crimes.
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Johnson Jr.’s previous crimes included the alleged killing of another man, in an incident that occurred a few months before Kuntz’s death. He has still yet to stand trial for that killing.
Check back for updates.
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[Featured image: Kutz family/Facebook]
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