TOWN OF WALLKILL – Justin
Speights’ good friend, Maison Becker, called the murdered Silver
Lake firefighter kind and gentle. Becker was one of three friends of Speights
to eulogize the 20-year-old Wallkill resident, who was stabbed to death
when he tried to break up a fight at a house party early on New Year’s
morning.
“Anytime you walked into a room, any time he saw us, anytime I met
with him, he’d put a smile on my face and he did that for everybody,”
said Becker. “He was just the kind of guy that had the personality
that just made you want to smile, whenever you saw him. He was so carefree
and he was so loving; he’d be happy in any situation.”
Fellow firefights salute as mourners enter the church prior to
Justin’s funeral
Silver Lake Fire Chief Joe Morstatt also delivered a eulogy and shared
stories of Speights’ other side, his endeavors within the Silver Lake
Fire Department. Morstatt said Speights was very respectful and that his
integrity was second to none. Recalling a three-alarm fire in April 2015,
Morstatt said, in an effort to help his fellow firefighters in a situation
where they were understaffed and under pressure, Speights took himself,
along with his gear, in a taxi to make it to the scene of the fire.
“It’s actions like this that show what kind of young man he was,”
said Morstatt before succumbing to tears.
Chief Morstatt posthumously promoted Speights to the rank of lieutenant
for the duration of this year, a rank no one else within the department
will hold for the duration of that time.
Justin was laid to rest at Wallkill Cemetery following the funeral service
at Transformation Church.
Speights is survived by his mother Lisa and her husband Angel Marcial,
his father Calvin Eric and his wife Maria Nerys, his sister Nicole and
her husband Brentley Millikan, brother Aaron, step-sisters Aryel and Nina,
step-brother Giovanni, as well as his Aunt Marlene Faulkner and Uncle
Michael Holmes. In addition, he leaves behind friends and a fire department
from a community who deeply appreciated him.
In the meantime, State Police continue to pour through mounds of evidence,
reviewing smart phone video and many of the 100 people there in hopes
of making an arrest.
