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Putnam County resident Louis Weber IV, of Philipstown, pleaded guilty this week to manslaughter and arson for killing his father, Louis Weber Jr., who was 72 years old at the time, in November 2019.
Putnam County District Attorney Robert Tendy said that on Nov. 4, 2019, first responders were dispatched to a Second Street home in Philipstown, where there was a home that went up in flames.
After putting out the fire, Tendy said that first responders found the body of the elder Weber, who had apparently died in the fire.
Further investigation, however, found that Weber Jr. had sustained blunt force injuries and died before the fire. Weber IV admitted that the fire was set intentionally, and an accelerant had been poured on his father’s body prior to setting the fire.
Weber IV was arrested and charged on Aug. 23, 2020. He pleaded guilty almost a year later to the day on Monday, Aug. 24, pleading under oath to committing the crimes.
When he is sentenced on Tuesday, Oct. 26, Weber IV is expected to be sentenced to a term of 20 years in state prison, followed by five years of post-release supervision.
In a statement, Tendy said that he "would like to thank the numerous members of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office who worked on this case, specifically Senior Investigator John Kerwick and Investigator Shaun Menton. He would also like to thank Greg Amyot of the New York State Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services.
“This was a thoroughly professional investigation,” he said. “An amazing job by everyone.”
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