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Homeless Suspects In Marist College Dad's Fatal Shooting Weren't Placed In Hotel, Officials Say

Two homeless men who are being held in the fatal hotel shooting of a father of a freshman student who was visiting Marist College in Poughkeepsie on Family Weekend were not placed at the hotel by the county.

The victim, Paul Kutz.

The victim, Paul Kutz.

Photo Credit: Linkedin

The two suspects, identified as Roy Johnson Jr., age 35, and Devin Taylor, age 26, have been charged in the death of Long Island resident Paul Kutz, age 53, of East Northport, at the Courtyard by Marriott in the Town of Poughkeepsie on Sunday, Oct. 2.

No one is sure how the two men came to be at the hotel, but Dutchess County officials said they were not known to the Department of Community and Family Services.

“The two suspects, named by the Town of Poughkeepsie Police Department in connection with the Oct. 2 shooting tragedy at the Courtyard by Marriott in Poughkeepsie, were neither known as Department of Community and Family Services clients nor placed in that hotel by Dutchess County, said DCFS Commissioner Sabrina Jaar Marzouka. "Dutchess County DCFS does not work with the Courtyard by Marriott for any housing services.”

The murder took place when one of the suspects had gone down to the hotel lobby to get coffee and got into an argument with hotel staff. He took out a gun and fired, killing Kutz, who was an innocent bystander, officials said.

A father of three, with one student at Marist College and two others who reportedly graduated from Marist, was attending the family weekend which ran from Friday, Sept. 30 through Sunday.

Police said Johnson was charged with second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He was remanded to the Dutchess County Jail without bail

Taylor was charged with two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and was also remanded to the jail on $500,000 cash, $1 million bond or $5 million partially secured, authorities said.

This remains a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.

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