Retrial of Megan McDonald murder case delayed as new DNA evidence raises questions
Jury selection was expected to begin today in Orange County Court, but instead, a conference is being held to determine how long the proceedings will be postponed.
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A newly tested DNA sample has thrown the long-delayed Megan McDonald murder case into further turmoil — forcing another postponement in the retrial of Edward Holley and raising fresh questions about how critical evidence was handled.
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Holley’s retrial was scheduled to begin Wednesday in Orange County Court, but proceedings were abruptly delayed after prosecutors and defense attorneys revealed that New York State Police recently sent DNA samples from a Dodge Neon tied to a former suspect for testing for the first time — more than two decades after McDonald’s death.
Holley’s defense attorney tells News 12 the newly tested samples are not a match for the victim. The DNA is an unexpected development that derailed the start of the trial and prompted the judge to postpone the proceedings so the evidence could be reviewed further.
“This is a nightmare for both sides,” said Rick Trunfio, a former Onondaga County prosecutor and now a law professor at Syracuse University College of Law, who spent decades handling homicide and complex criminal cases. “I can’t imagine the judge is happy about this.”
Trunfio, who reviewed the case for News 12, said the late testing could open the door to questions about how the evidence was managed and whether both sides had proper access before the first trial.
“What does it show? It shows evidence that may support a new defense theory and goes against the original theory that the prosecution had,” Trunfio said. “It really complicates what is the theory of the prosecution’s case now, and it really helps the defense because now the defense can attack the different theory that the prosecution may be going on this time around.”
Investigators testified during Holley’s first trial last spring that the Dodge Neon — tied to another of McDonald’s ex-boyfriends — appeared to have human tissue on the side mirror and back seat, and mud on the wheels. The vehicle was released to its registered owner shortly after the 2003 investigation began, and the samples were not tested until five days after the case ended in a mistrial earlier this year.
McDonald, a 20-year-old SUNY Orange student from Wallkill, was found bludgeoned to death in a wooded area off Bowser Road in the Town of Wallkill in March 2003. Police testified that she was beaten and left along a dirt path in a remote area another suspect was familiar with.
According to prosecutors and police, Holley killed McDonald after the two broke up and argued over money. They say Holley owed McDonald several thousand dollars and that she was pressing him to pay her back. Prosecutors have said that friends of Holley told investigators he seemed angry and agitated around the time of McDonald’s death, and that one acquaintance reported Holley allegedly admitted to “doing something bad.” Those statements were part of the prosecution’s evidence presented during his first trial earlier this year.
Holley, who uses a wheelchair because of a spinal injury, was charged with second-degree murder in 2023 following a renewed investigation by New York State Police and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. His first trial in May ended in a mistrial when jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict.
“Whether he’s guilty or not, the real issue is this affects the quality of justice in this particular case,” Trunfio said.
Holley’s defense attorneys are now questioning the timing and reliability of the DNA testing, arguing that lab records show the samples were too degraded to produce reliable results. They plan to have their own expert review the findings before the rescheduled trial.
Holley remains in the Orange County Jail without bail. His retrial is now set to begin Jan. 12.
Special prosecutor Julia Cornachio declined to comment on the latest delay.
