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Ulster County resident Joseph Karolys, age 39, of Saugerties, was sentenced to 25 years on Thursday, Oct. 3, for the Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022, killing of David "Mickey" Myer, also of Saugerties, said Ulster County District Attorney Emmanuel C. Nneji.
According to the district attorney's office, on the night of the murder, Joseph Karolys, David “Mickey” Myer, and Michael Cummins were driven home by Joseph Karolys, Jr., following a Halloween party at a Greene County Bar, the One More Time Tavern on Route 32 in Catskill.
Myer’s beaten body was found that morning on the side of Route 32 in Saugerties. An investigation conducted by the Saugerties Police Department with assistance from the New York State Police determined that the manner of death was homicide.
The proof at trial established that Myer was brutally assaulted inside the truck and that Karolys kicked Mickey Myer in the head with steel-toe boots after he was removed from the vehicle and left outside in the cold.
Afterward, Karolys and his son took steps to conceal the crime, including burning the steel-toe boots Karolys used in the crime in their wood stove, the DA's Office said.
Karolys then took Cummins out of town with him. They spent several days moving around the Lake George area as he worked on Cummins to take the rap for him, ultimately causing Cummins to bring himself into Saugerties Police Department to cover for Karolys.
During questioning, Cummins revealed additional information previously unknown in the case, including Karolys’ statement that Mickey bit him in his hand during the assault, and the bite became infected, but Karolys told the emergency room that it was a dog bite.
The joint investigation by New York State Police and Saugerties Police revealed Myer’s blood inside the Karolys truck and home, as well as on the truck’s floor mats, which had been removed and placed elsewhere in the compound.
During sentencing, his sister, Donna Harris, spoke about her last conversation with Mickey, in which she wished him a happy birthday and closed with an exchange of “I love you.”
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