Giordano
Molyneaux
GOSHEN – A Goshen man pled guilty on Tuesday to murder, burglary, tampering with physical evidence and arson for his involvement in the August 2, 2014 murder of an 81-year-old woman in her Village of Goshen home.
Devin Giordano admitted that he and his accomplice and then girlfriend Jennifer Molyneaux, now 18, of the Town of Wallkill, broken into Helen Mills’ home with the intent to steal money to buy drugs.
The elderly victim resisted and Molyneaux, who earlier pled guilty, admitted to strangling her and smothering her with a pillow. Molyneaux said had taken drugs before committing the crime.
Giordano admitted in Orange County Court that he intentionally lit a match to set the house on fire and concealed clothing that would be evidence of the crimes.
District Attorney David Hoovler said the nexus between illicit drugs and violent crime has never been clearer than in this case.
“They broke in to that elderly woman’s house to steal money because they thought she was an easy pushover; in the process they killed her,” Hoovler said. “So, when you look at it for what the motive was, to get money for drugs, Helen Mills, who lived 81 years, probably had no idea what heroin looked like, but she became the victim of the opioid epidemic.”
Both Giordano and Molyneaux will be sentenced next month. The DA’s
office has recommended 22 years to life in prison for each.
