A Kerhonkson man pleaded guilty Wednesday to one of the most horrific murders in Ulster County history.

In Ulster County Court before Judge Bryan Rounds, Damon Foy, 50, of Kerhonkson entered a plea of guilty to a charge of second-degree murder for the 2024 domestic violence killing of 44-year-old Alberta Dale at his Kerhonkson apartment.

According to prosecutors, between March 31 and April 1, 2024, Foy killed and dismembered Dale and was in the process of disposing of her remains when arrested.

In 2024, the Shawangunk Journal, Kingston Wire's sibling publication, was at a press conference which broke down the timeline of the murder.

Sheriff’s Office Capt. Joseph Sciutto said it was “approximately 9:45 a.m. on April 1,” when the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office was called by police in Scranton, Pa., seeking information on Dale’s whereabouts. Her family had reported her missing. She was “last known to be in the company of Damon Foy, 50 years of age,” said Sciutto.

At 10:15 a.m., sheriff’s deputies investigated an address on Granite Road in Kerhonkson, Sciutto continued. They located Dale’s vehicle, unoccupied. They entered and searched Foy’s apartment but did not find her.

During the day, Sciutto said, evidence was found on Route 44/55 that intensified the search. At 5 p.m., deputies and detectives returned to the apartment to interview Foy. A detective found evidence at that point indicating that a crime had occurred in the apartment; the sheriff’s office began to prepare a search warrant.

Foy was invited for an interview with deputies. As he was leaving with the deputies, Foy removed a taser from the belt on one deputy, activated it and aimed it at the deputies. A deputy then punched Foy to recover the taser. Foy fell to the floor. He was then taken quickly to Ellenville Regional Hospital while a search warrant was signed for the apartment.

Shortly after midnight on April 3, investigators undertook a serious search of the apartment. During the search, Sciutto said, “human remains” were found that were identified as belonging to Fox. It became clear at that point that she had been cut to pieces. During subsequent investigation, further remains were discovered in the Town of Marlborough.

In the late afternoon of April 3, Sciutto said, Foy was released from hospital and charged with second-degree murder.

“Over the past two and a half years, our office committed significant resources to this case and worked closely with the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Police and our law enforcement partners to hold Damon Foy accountable,” said Chief Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Culmone-Mills, who led the prosecution team. “Alberta’s family showed extraordinary strength and trust throughout this process. We are grateful to them, and to every investigator, prosecutor and member of our office who dedicated so much to seeking justice for Alberta.”

“This case exemplifies in one person the evil of domestic violence,” Ulster County DA Emmanuel Nneji said. “The total selfish disregard for the life and dignity of another person is at the heart of domestic violence. Damon Foy has shown that to us. We must recognize in our laws the rights of victims of domestic violence to be physically, psychologically, and emotionally safe from their tormentors and the dangers specifically targeted for them, and demand procedures that actually protect victims for real, not just on paper.”

Sentencing is set for Dec. 16. Culmone-Mills and Senior Assistant District Attorney Luba Reznikova of the Special Victims Bureau prosecuted the case. The defendant is represented by Valerio Russo of the Ulster County Public Defender’s Office.