Copyright – MHNN.com
GOSHEN – The man, who along with his girlfriend murdered an 81-year-old
woman in her Goshen home on August 2, 2014 and then set the house on fire,
was sentenced Thursday to 20 years to life in state prison.
Devin Giordano, 22, of Goshen, previously pled guilty to murder, burglary,
tampering with physical evidence and arson, for having been involved in
the botched burglary which ended with the killing of Helen Mills.
Giordano admitted that he and his then-girlfriend, Jennifer Molyneaux,
18, of Wallkill, had gone to the woman’s home with the intent to
steal money and when Mills resisted, Molyneaux struck, strangled and suffocated
her with a pillow. Giordano then doused the home with gasoline and torched
it with intent of covering up the crime.
Molyneaux, who also admitted to the crimes is scheduled to be sentenced
in May and could face a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison.
Molyneaux stated that she had taken drugs before committing the crime.
The sentencing of Giordano “ends only one portion of this tragic
event which the victim’s family, and the entire community, will
continue to struggle through,” said District Attorney David Hoovler.
“It is utterly reprehensible that anyone would kill a defenseless,
elderly, woman in her own bedroom just to get money. There is a nexus
between illicit narcotics and crime. We must hold accountable those who
violently victimize defenseless citizens to get money to feed their drug
habits.”
Hoovler said that even though Mills “knew nothing about heroin,
the opioid epidemic took her life also.”
