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Orange County resident Horace Duke, age 23, of Wallkill was sentenced to 18 years in prison on Tuesday, July 25, and five years post-release supervision for the Thursday, Oct. 20 incident.
Duke was convicted after a jury trial in April of all the counts against him including manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon, said Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler.
The District Attorney’s Office had recommended that Duke be sentenced to 25 years in prison.
As established at trial, Duke was involved in a motor vehicle accident with Joel Laddy, age 74, of Middletown, that escalated into a verbal argument on Route 17 in the town of Wallkill. During the incident, Duke stabbed Laddy once in the chest with a kitchen knife, puncturing his heart and causing his death.
An investigation was conducted by the Wallkill Police Department, the New York State Police, and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
Hoovler thanked all the law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation and the arrest of Duke.
“The evidence at trial proved that this defendant fatally stabbed an unarmed and elderly man after their cars had been involved in a collision, said Hoovler.
“Road rage is dangerous and can escalate into irreversible acts of violence. The loss of life in this case was both senseless and preventable. My deepest condolences go out to the family and loved ones of the victim in this incident."
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