Schoharie County District Attorney wants an airtight manslaughter case against Raymond C. George Jr. when she goes to the grand jury next month.
To that end, Ms. Mallery and her staff are interviewing investigators and witnesses familiar with the death of James E. Williams Jr. on June 15.
Mr. George, 53, is accused of driving his car into Mr. Williams, who was sitting with his dogs outside his room at the Colonial Motel on East Main Street, Cobleskill, according to police.
The car entered the motel room so far that it was just barely visible from the front view.
At the time on parole for sex offenses, Mr. George left the scene but was apprehended shortly afterwards in Cobleskill.
Mr. Williams died at the scene, as did one of his dogs. The second dog was later euthanized at a veterinarian’s office.
Ms. Mallery is waiting for an autopsy, which she said she’ll attend and also reports––for instance, the speed of Mr. George’s vehicle and what the two men were arguing about, believed to be the source of the incident.
“I want to make sure, as prosecutor, I understand the case so that I can educate the grand jury,” Ms. Mallery said.
She’ll prepare investigators and witnesses for the grand jury, and she wants the case to be complete.
“We don’t want surprises,” Ms. Mallery said. “We have to eliminate the defenses and any other possibilities.”
Police charged Mr. George with first-degree manslaughter, a Class B felony, and Ms. Mallery said “there will be other charges,” possibly damage to the motel and the two dogs’ deaths.
Cobleskill Police, State Police, the Schoharie County Sheriff’s office, Cobleskill Fire Department, along with other agencies, were at the scene on June 15.