Kevin Monahan, age 65, was convicted of second-degree murder in Washington County Court on Tuesday afternoon, Jan. 23 in the death of Kaylin Gillis.
The seven men and five women also found Monahan guilty of tampering with evidence and reckless endangerment after deliberating for just two hours.
Investigators said it was just before 10 p.m. on Saturday, April 15, 2023 when Gillis and three others mistakenly turned into Monohan’s driveway in the rural town of Hebron while looking for a friend’s house.
After realizing their mistake, they turned around and were leaving his home when Monahan fired two shots at their vehicle from a 12-gauge shotgun, striking Gillis, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
The woman’s boyfriend had to drive nearly five miles away from the shooting scene in order to get cell reception to call 911.
Gillis, a 2021 graduate of Schuylerville High School in Saratoga County, was treated at the scene but died from her injuries.
Monahan spent roughly an hour holed up inside his home talking with 911 dispatchers before finally surrendering.
According to deputies, the group of friends never got out of their car and had no interaction with Monahan prior to the shooting.
Defense attorneys argued that Monahan and his wife felt threatened by the car pulling into his driveway and he accidentally fired the fatal shot after firing a warning shot into the air.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on Friday, March 1.
This continues to be a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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