On the evening of Sept. 15, the pavement outside the Ulster County office building saw dozens of women gathered to make a chilling point. “Five women have been killed in intimate-partner or domestic violence in our county in less than two and a half years,” Helen Garber, one of the protest organizers, said in a statement. “Those numbers cannot be ignored.”

The first was in the Town of Rochester, where Alberta Dale was murdered and hacked to pieces by her partner Damon Foy in April of 2024. A year later, in Kingston, Kaleigh Griffin was killed by her husband in a murder-suicide.

Then Ellenville’s Nicole Izabella Perez, 29, was killed by Michael David Carman, 28, on March 31, 2026. Carman was arrested in Florida less than a month later and charged with murder. On August 21, Mindy Brugger was shot dead in Plattekill by her husband, Fire Chief James Brugger, 66, who then killed himself – a crime after which the county’s official reporting led to backlash about them minimizing domestic violence.

The fifth victim was not far behind. On Sept. 1, 2026, Brianna Sue Wittl, 33, was shot dead in her Esopus home following a dispute with her fiancé, 47-year-old William F. Dearden. Police arrested Dearden who has been charged with felony murder and criminal possession of a weapon and remanded to Ulster County Jail without bail. He awaits trial.

“Our comparison using FBI crime statistics indicates that Ulster County’s recent domestic violence homicide rate is approximately three times the national rate,” Garber said. A candlelight vigil was held. County Executive Jen Metzger came out to stand with the protesters and spoke with them about the issue and what they have experienced.

Garber added, “It was incredibly powerful, but being heard is only the beginning. We are asking for survivors to have a meaningful seat at the table. We are asking for public hearings, an examination of the systemic failures being repeatedly reported, and concrete reforms and accountability.”

The demonstration cast a light on a difficult set of issues in Ulster County. Are the police and the courts up to the challenge of protecting women from abusive partners?

“Something changed last night,” Garber said the day after the protest. “Survivors who have been afraid to speak stood up and told their stories. Our elected officials listened. Our community showed up.”