2 Plead Not Guilty In Killing LI Father Of Marist Student

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY — Two men charged in the shooting death of a Long Island father who was visiting Poughkeepsie during Marist College’s family weekend pleaded not guilty Friday.

Roy A. Johnson, 35, and Devin Taylor, 26, pleaded not guilty to all charges in Dutchess County Court.

Johnson was charged with second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, felonies, in the death of Paul Kutz, 53, of East Northport.

Taylor was charged with two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and one count of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, all felonies.

Both men were remanded to the Dutchess County Jail without bail.

Kutz is survived by his wife, Nathalie, and three sons, Matt, Ryan, and Sean. Kutz was shot and killed Oct. 2 in the lobby of the Courtyard by Marriott hotel in Poughkeepsie. The father of three sons was in town to attend the family weekend celebration for one of his sons, who attends Marist College.

During the court appearance, a detective from the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia said Johnson was wanted in Georgia on felony gun and drug charges, Mid Hudson News reported.

Johnson waived his right to extradition.

Around 7:30 a.m. Oct. 2, Johnson entered the lobby of the hotel on South Road in Poughkeepsie armed with a 9 mm Glock semi-automatic pistol, prosecutors said. He cursed and paced around the lobby, tried to get around the front desk, and was stopped by a hotel clerk, police said.

After he turned away from the clerk, Johnson pulled out a pistol and shot Kutz on the right side of his chest, officials said. Kutz died within minutes.

Johnson continued firing inside the lobby and then, after he went back into the hotel, was taken into custody, authorities said.

Taylor had a loaded AR-15 style, fully automatic rifle that had no serial number in his hotel room, prosecutors said. While he was in the courtyard area of the hotel, he was carrying a Walther 22P pistol, police said.

Taylor was confronted by the police, and ran in and out of the building and courtyard, authorities said. He was ordered to the ground by an officer, and the pistol was later found against the wall of the hotel, police said.

Taylor also had assorted ammunition, rifle parts, explosive targets and a smoke bomb, among other items, in his hotel room, authorities said.

Kutz's funeral was held Monday in East Northport.

"This should not have happened," the priest told everyone in attendance.

Kutz was remembered as kind, undemanding, and soft-spoken, along with having a sharp, dry wit, his brother, Andrew Kutz, who delivered the eulogy, said.

"To know Paul was to love him," Andrew said, adding that Paul was his best friend.