by Mark Gado
While Francois stood mute in the tense courtroom, Judge Thomas Dolan sentenced the defendant to eight consecutive life terms with no chance of parole. Amid shouts of “murderer,” “killer,” and “Goodbye, Kendall!” sheriff’s deputies escorted the big man through a side door and back to a holding cell. Paulette Francois, Kendall’s mother, who avoided making any comments about her son during the long ordeal, issued a statement through her lawyer after sentencing. “We have always believed that death followed by more death is not a solution and never will be,” she said.
Attica State Prison New York
Photo by Jayu
In 2003, a reporter for The New York Daily News, Douglas Montero, interviewed Kendall Francois inside Attica, one of New York’s toughest prisons. “I wish I didn’t commit the crime,” he said. “It was wrong. There was something wrong with me. I just don’t remember being such a monster.” He was unapologetic to the families of the victims, claiming that he didn’t need to apologize to anyone. He said that he was not like the other killers at Attica, who were cold-blooded and remorseless. He was different, he insisted.
“I’m one of the nicest people you will ever meet,” he said. “I just do bad things.”
www.crimescape.com
Acknowledgements
Kendall Francois did not respond to requests for an interview for this book. Some of the names in this story have been altered to conceal the identity of some of the participants in the case. A great deal is involved in a nearly two-year murder investigation—in this case, an investigation that required dozens of investigators, generated hundreds of leads and employed three police departments. The author would like to thank former New York State Police Senior Investigator Thomas Martin, now president of Crime Scene Forensics, LLC, www.crimescene-forensics.com, for his generous time and valuable insight into one of the most horrendous crime scenes any police officer would ever want to encounter. Many thanks to Sgt. Kent Linderholm of the Town of Poughkeepsie Police Department for his efforts in securing the proper police reports and official documents. Lieutenant William Siegrist (retired) of the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department, New York, whose willingness to discuss all aspects of this case with candor and sincere introspection, was indispensable in the preparation of this book. I also give a special thanks to a special police officer, Detective Karl “Skip” Mannain, who lived and breathed this case every day for 22 months and typifies the humble courage of the “thin blue line” that is America’s protector and always will be.
Photo Index/Credits
Cover photo—Old houses and steps, Yorkshire, UK, by Dr Neil Clifton
Francois’ Front Door, Photo courtesy of Tim Martin
Poughkeepsie, New York
Poughkeepsie Police Department
Prostitutes Negotiating
Poughkeepsie, New York
Kendall Francois
Kitchen in Francois’ Home
John Douglas
Lt. Bill Siegrist
Kendall Francois
Rear of Francois Home
Francois’ Home
Francois’ Refrigerator
John Wayne Gacy
Attica State Prison
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