#1
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Serial Killer: Kendall Francois
Kendall Francois was born in Poughkeepsie, New York and never really left the house he grew up in with his parents and sister. He was a big man and played on the high school football team. After graduation, he joined the Army and served until 1993. He attended college classes on and off after the military and never held down a job for long. The bizarre twist in this case is that Francois committed each of his murders in the same house that he shared with his family. The first murder occurred in October 1996 and after strangling the young prostitute to death, he left her body to rot in the attic. Two months later, he killed another prostitute and placed her body alongside the first. After the fourth missing persons case involving a prostitute, the F.B. I. was called in to assist local authorities. In early 1997, police set up surveillance on Kendall Francois after several local prostitutes who were interviewed during the investigation, complained about him being rough during sex. Nothing came of the surveillance which included a wiretapped conversation between a prostitute and Francois, causing the police to mov on from Francois. Two months later, he struck again and over the next year had murdered eight women and stored their bodies in the attic. Finally, on September 1, 1988, Francois was strangling an abducted prostitute when she broke free and escaped his home. She led police back to the address and the police had finally caught their killer. To this day, police cannot explain how his sister and parents could continue to live in that house without knowing what he was up to and also put up with the overwhelming stench of decomposing bodies which permeated the entire house. |
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Nanina, packington |
#2
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Re: Serial Killer: Kendall Francois
I moved into a house about two months before his arrest. His house was about 50 feet from mine. Funny story, I rented from an aunt, plus watched her kids in the day. I overslept that day. I woke up, the kids weren't home. News choppers were flying over the house, police were knocking on the door asking questions, and the goddamn two little girls I'm supposed to be watching are missing. I couldn't call the mom and asked "are the kids with you?" If she said "no", what the fuck am I supposed to say, "Uh, nevermind"? Turns out she did take the kids with her, must have told me days before and I forgot. What a shitty, long, strange day. |
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Loopville |
#3
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Re: Serial Killer: Kendall Francois
Quote:
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agirlvic, Loopville |
#4
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Re: Serial Killer: Kendall Francois
I think they knew, but were in some very strange form of denial.
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#5
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Re: Serial Killer: Kendall Francois
heres the tale, the vid is shit but is the only vid out there. We’re low lifes, that’s what it comes down to. People don’t care that we’re missing because they think we don’t belong on the streets in the first place. It’s not just the police, it’s the community,” a prostitute had told the Journal on July 26, 1998. But they were wrong; the police were taking it very seriously and had been for nearly 22 months. Thousands of hours of investigative work had already been expended on the case. The City of Poughkeepsie Police, Town of Poughkeepsie, Town of Lloyd, the New York State Police and the F.B.I had all worked together on the investigation, which had grown to epic proportions. The families of the missing girls were numb from worry. In a prophetic statement to the Albany Times, Patricia Barone, whose daughter had been missing nearly two years, said: “If they find one of them, they’ll find all of them, I’m sure of that.” She didn’t know how right she was. Of course, she had no way of knowing that not far from the Market Street office, where the members of the task force diligently processed their paperwork every day, a house of horrors awaited them. The home was set on a quiet residential block, in the shadow of famous Vassar College -- a dark, gloomy two-story house virtually across the street from a funeral home. A house that neighbors and children knew well. They saw it every day as they walked to work, parked their cars, rode their bicycles, played on the street. The local mailman and some neighborhood kids, the usual delivery people, they knew it too. Everyone in the neighborhood knew the house well -- because it stunk to high heaven. The Beginning of the End On Tuesday, September 1, 1998, at about 8:30 in the morning in the second floor bedroom of this same house, a young woman was quietly being strangled. She was a slightly built woman who had gone there to get paid for sex. The person who was trying to kill her was a very large man, whom she had seen before on the city streets late at night, cruising for girls. He had his huge hands wrapped around her throat, his thumbs pressed deep into her flesh while she fought against him with all the strength God could give her. Somehow, she wriggled free and convinced the man to let her go. He agreed to drive her back to Main Street where he had picked her up only a short time ago. They got into his white car and drove to a local gas station. But just before he pulled into the station, the girl jumped from the car and ran away. The man continued to drive down the street. At the same moment and less than one block away, Detectives Skip Mannain and . Bob McCready were in their unmarked car preparing to hand out flyers asking the public for help in the Catina Newmaster disappearance.Within seconds, they saw the very large man in his familiar white Camry and waved to him. The man quickly waved back because he recognized Det. Mannain from previous contacts. It was Kendall Francois. As the officers pulled into the same gas station that Francois just left, a man came up to the car and told the police that a girl, who was now walking away, said that she was just assaulted. Quickly, the cops located the girl, who confirmed the attack. She was brought into the police station where she filed a complaint against Francois. That same afternoon, the police returned to 99 Fulton Street to talk with Kendall Francois about this most recent attack. They asked him to come into the police department to discuss the report. He agreed and was taken to headquarters. Over the next few hours, Francois eventually made many admissions regarding the disappearance of the women. He was arrested and charged with a single count of murder in the death of Catina Newmaster on August 26, 1998. The police were elated. A search warrant was drawn up and signed. Then, on September 2, 1998, shortly after midnight, a team of detectives, the district attorney, EMS crews, crime scene processors and an army of cops drove over to 99 Fulton Street and entered into the house of horrors. The House of Horrors Police knocked on the door and it was soon answered by Kendall’s mother. The officers informed Kendall's parents and sister of the purpose of the visit. They were taken to the Town of Poughkeepsie Police Department while the police began their search. Within the hour, they located the first body. The house was immediately surrounded by police and secured. “We were resolved to preserve the scene at any cost,” said Lt. Siegrist. Rather than work the house throughout the night, the New York State Police decided to process the crime scene beginning at daylight. 99 Fulton was a two-story green colonial home situated in the middle of the block, sandwiched in between two other similar houses. It looked like any other home on the block, although it had a slightly run-down appearance. According to the Town of Poughkeepsie assessor’s office, the house, which was built on less than a quarter acre, sold in 1975 to a McKinley H. and Paulette Francois for $11,500. The neighborhood is average when compared to others in that section of town and many homes in that same area rent to college students. In the morning, the police, dressed in sterile white suits and wearing anti-putrefaction masks, entered the home. The house was filled with garbage that was strewn everywhere, on the floors, furniture, in the sinks and closets. Clothes were piled on every inch of floor space and sheets were pulled over the windows. One detective remarked in all his years on the job, he had never seen such wretched living conditions. The stench was overpowering, it permeated every room, every corner and seeped out into the street like some toxic cloud. Within one hour, hundreds of people gathered outside the building. The word had spread that Kendall Francois had been arrested for murder. Dozens of people from the media descended upon the neighborhood. Spotlights and cameras soon lined the street as the police went about their morbid business. Relatives of some of the victims arrived to watch the gruesome story unfold. A woman's body was found in the attic. Then another. And still another. Some spectators ran from the scene, gagging on the oppressive smell of death and garbage. District Attorney William Grady told the newspapers: “Based on what the suspect told us, the eight bodies are inside that house.” Slowly, in a grim pageant of death, the bodies were removed from the house. The corpses were in various states of decomposition, some far advanced beyond the putrefaction stage. Insect activity was widespread and there were indications of rodent presence. The bodies were located in several different areas of the structure, often covered with clothes or blankets. The New York Daily News said, “When cops went to the green, aluminum-sided house at 99 Fulton St., they were nearly bowled over by the stench of rotting flesh.” Detectives knew that it would be days before identifications could be made. Estimates of time of death in such cases are difficult, if not impossible, to determine. There is only one rigid rule: the longer period of time between death and the estimate, the more inaccurate the estimate will be. Also present in the growing crowd on Fulton Avenue was Patricia Barone, mother of Gina Barone, who was reported missing back in December, 1996. Mrs. Barone stood bravely with her family but she was prepared for the worst. “In my head, I’d come to terms with it. I had a feeling she was gone all this time. I always felt that when the good Lord thought I was ready to hear it, I’d hear it,” she told reporters from the N.Y. Times. Over the next five days, the police investigators continued their search for bodies and evidence. The crowds got bigger, the media was everywhere. Relatives of victims gathered outside and held vigils in remembrance of their loved ones. On September 5, the eighth and last body was removed from the Francois home. By then, the first body found was identified as Catina Newmaster, the last girl to be reported missing. Identifications of Gina Barone, Sandra French and Catherine Marsh quickly followed. A few days later, Wendy Meyers, Kathleen Hurley and Mary Giaccone were also identified. Police made another gruesome discovery: one body, later identified as Audrey Pugliese, 34, was from New Rochelle, NY; she had not been reported missing. How she came to be inside the house, no one knew. Only the enigmatic Kendall Francois could provide a clue, but he wasn’t talking. Kendall was charged with second-degree murder on the morning of September 2. Represented by an attorney, he would not make any further statements. But he was well known in the city of Poughkeepsie. One prostitute told the Journal, “Most of us knew him. We did crack together.” "Stinky" Kendall Francois was born in the city of Poughkeepsie and grew up on Fulton Street. He attended Arlington High School, where the 6’4” teenager played football on the school team until he graduated in 1989. He joined the Army in 1990 and went to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, for basic training. In 1993, Kendall attended class at Dutchess County Community College as a liberal arts major. He continued as a student on and off until 1998. Although he was not working at the time of his arrest, he did have several jobs in the past. Kendall was employed at the Arlington Middle School from 1996-97, which is a few miles from Fulton Avenue, as a school monitor. Some teachers at the school complained about Kendall’s behavior, especially toward the female students. He often played with the girls in an inappropriate manner, touching their hair and telling sexual jokes. Although he had a clean record at the Middle School, children had a strange name for Kendall. They called him “Stinky.” During the time span surrounding the disappearances, Kendall Francois lived at home with his mother, father and younger sister, who continue to deny any knowledge of the killings. Many people wondered how the parents could not have known what was going on? Especially Kendall’s mother who was employed as a nurse for many years at the Hudson River Psychiatric Center in Poughkeepsie. Surely at least she should have suspected. But it was reported that Kendall had told his parents a family of raccoons had died in the attic and he was having trouble removing the carcasses. This explanation seemed to suffice. In a statement issued through their attorney, the family had this to say: “We find ourselves plagued by unimaginable circumstances. Our youngest son is suspected of committing grave offenses from which his life hangs in the balance. We have virtually lost everything, been dispossessed of our home and cast into the street with only the clothes on our backs….The family requests that under these extraordinary circumstances, the public and media respect the only two items we have now, our privacy and personal respect”. Guilty But Alive On September 4, 1998 , Kendall Francois was indicted in Dutchess County Court for murder in the death of Catina Newmaster. The indictment came as the relentless search for bodies continued at 99 Fulton Avenue. Forensic experts had already been summoned to assist county investigators in the post mortem examinations. Special x-ray devices were utilized at the home to locate bones and other body pieces that may have been hidden inside walls or buried on the property. In the pouring rain, the search continued. Onlookers in the street huddled underneath umbrellas as the media took up a watch across the street from the Francois home. Some small trees and bushes that were growing in front of the property were cut down by the police and were laying in a pile on the sidewalk. Flower bouquets and other memorabilia from victim’s families and friends sat under a tree near the Francois home. An eerie quiet permeated the scene and even the drenching rain could not wash away the sadness of the crowd at 99 Fulton Avenue. A few blocks away, at the Holy Trinity Church, a memorial service was held for the victims on Tuesday night. The Rev. Richard LaMorte offered comfort to victims' loved ones and police alike, who had been searching the house for a week with no break. He said to the press: “in tragedies like this, you need a religious experience. I realize some of those police are my parishioners.” The following day, on Wednesday, September 9, 1998, the public got its first look at Kendall Francois as he appeared in Dutchess County Court to enter a plea. Wearing black pants and a white shirt, the big man stood silently before Judge Thomas J. Dolan as a plea of “not guilty” was entered. Kendall showed no emotion and seemed distant from the proceedings. Some of the spectators became enraged. “He killed my daughter!” the mother of one of the victim’s cried. Others almost had to be removed from the courtroom by officers who struggled to control their emotional outbursts. But when court officers asked some spectators to leave, Judge Dolan permitted all the families to remain. In his next appearance on October 13, 1998, he was formally charged with eight counts of first-degree murder, eight counts of second-degree murder and one count of attempted assault. In the state of New York, first-degree murder includes serial murder. Upon conviction of this charge, Francois could receive the death penalty. His attorneys were well aware of this and, as a result, on December 23, they attempted to enter a plea of guilty to the murders. In the state of New York, prosecutors have 120 days from indictment of first-degree murder to decide whether to pursue the death penalty and must then notify the court of that intent. A death penalty in New York can only be imposed by a jury, therefore a defendant who avoids a trial removes the threat of capital punishment. As a result, Francois’ plea of guilty to a Murder 1 indictment, prior to prosecution’s notification to court that they intend to seek the death penalty, spared his life. The very next day, District Attorney Grady announced that his office would seek the death penalty in Francois’ case. However, the status of Francois’ guilty plea was unclear. On February 11, 1999 the matter was decided in Dutchess County Court when Judge Dolan ruled that the death penalty law, in the way it currently applies, does not permit a plea of guilty prior to prosecution’s filing of a death penalty case. The defense team appealed the decision and the matter headed over to the State Court of Appeals, one of the most liberal minded courts in the nation. The case was heard on March 31, 2000. At issue was the crucial question of whether Kendall Francois, and other future murder suspects who face execution, will be able to avoid the death penalty, ironically, by admitting to their crimes. The Appeals Court ruled that a defendant may not plea prior to the D.A.'s filing notice of a death penalty case. On the morning of August 7, 2000, the Dutchess County courthouse was packed with spectators, friends and family members of the murder victims. They sat for hours, their grief and anger steadily building for what was to come. Then, at 1:10 p.m., a sudden hush fell over the room. A side door opened and Kendall Francois, his huge six-foot-four frame towering over the deputies, was led into the court. He had on a dark blue button-down shirt, black pants and wore thin, wire frame glasses. A few people cursed at him as he sat in his seat and stared straight ahead. As arranged through the District Attorney's Office and the defense team, Kendall Francois was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the killing of eight women. He could be confined to his cell for as much as 23 hours a day. The families of the victims were allowed to make statements to the court as Francois sat in his chair. At times, their rage and tears overwhelmed the court. "You took the child I had waited so many years for," said Marguerite Marsh, mother of victim Catherine Marsh. "You are a cold-blooded killer, Francois!" said an aunt of another victim. Francois declined to make any statement but said through his attorney: "He is deeply sorry for his actions." He was led slowly out of the court in chains as some spectators continued to curse him. On August 10, 2000, Francois was processed into New York's toughest prison, Attica, where he remains today, inmate #A4160. The ending to the story of Kendall Francois and “los desaparecidos” has been written. However, for one family, the saga continues. Michelle Eason, the only African American among the missing, has not been found. As of May, 2000, she was still missing. “Although I believed that she was a part of this in the beginning, I don’t believe it anymore” Lt. Siegrist recently said, “All the girls involved in the Francois case were white and were found inside Francois’ home.” There are no new leads in her case. As in all missing persons incidents, however, there are many possibilities. But up to now, her disappearance remains a total mystery. |
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Nanina |
#6
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Re: Serial Killer: Kendall Francois
How the hell does a piece of shit like this not receive the death penalty? Because the victims were prostitutes? If this guy doesn't deserve it no one does.
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#7
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Re: Serial Killer: Kendall Francois
good post thanks ![]() ![]() |
#8
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My Rank: PRIVATE Poster Rank:12252 Join Date: Dec 2010 Mentioned: 0 Post(s) Quoted: 0 Post(s)
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Re: Serial Killer: Kendall Francois
This scumbag contracted HIV from one of his victims. Let him die a slow, torturous, death.
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#9
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Re: Serial Killer: Kendall Francois
Great post. Serial killers and prostitutes is like fuel and a match.
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#10
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So Fucking Banned Poster Rank:1479 Join Date: May 2009 Mentioned: 0 Post(s) Quoted: 0 Post(s)
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Re: Serial Killer: Kendall Francois
This is amazing that your so openly able to talk about this stuff knowing his family could come on here and see this and murder you?
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hunterseeker |