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Man Sentenced For Killing, Burying Friend In Hudson Valley

A 44-year-old man will spend more than a decade behind bars after fatally stabbing a friend who was staying at his Orange County home and burying his body.

Christopher Smith of Wallkill.

Christopher Smith of Wallkill.

Photo Credit: New York State Police

Christopher Smith, 44, of Newburgh, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to first-degree manslaughter for his involvement in the April 2017 death of William McMahon, 50, on his property.

Smith stabbed McMahon in the neck, killing him, before burying him in a planter in front of his home, and attempting to clean up the interior of the residence. McMahon’s remains were found when New York State Police investigators received a report from his family on June 30 last year, claiming he was missing.

The investigation into the missing person led to the discovery of his remains buried in Smith’s planter on Oct. 24 last year.

“The unlawful taking of another human life is among the worst crimes that one can commit,” Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler, said last year. “And the likelihood of killing increases dramatically when a person chooses to use a weapon. I only hope that the recovery of the victim’s body and this guilty plea will bring some measure of closure to the victim’s family.”

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