Cops say Army sgt. shot three
Wife, N.Y. trooper killed
THERESA, N.Y. — An Army soldier killed his wife and a state police trooper who had responded to reports of shots fired at the couple’s rural upstate property, authorities said yesterday.
Staff Sgt. Justin Walters surrendered after the Sunday night slayings and was charged with two counts of murder, authorities said. A second woman living on the couple’s property was also shot, but her injuries weren’t considered life-threatening, police said.
Trooper Joel Davis, 36, was shot as he approached the home while responding to the report of gunfire at about 8 p.m. in the town of Theresa, near the Canadian border, said George P. Beach II, superintendent of the New York state police.
Walters’ wife, Nichole Walters, 27, was found dead at the scene. Police haven’t said how she was killed.
State police said Justin Walters, 32, was stationed at nearby Fort Drum, home of the 10th Mountain Division. Fort Drum officials said Walters, of Zeeland, Mich. was a combat veteran who has served at the post since joining the Army in 2007. He did one-year tours in Afghanistan with the 10th Mountain Division’s 1st Brigade in January 2009 and again in March 2011.
Walters was clad only in shorts when he was brought to a town court around 4 a.m. yesterday to be charged with first-degree murder in Davis’ slaying and seconddegree murder in his wife’s death. He was ordered held in the Jefferson County Jail without bail.
When the judge asked Walters if he knew why he was in court, Walters responded that he didn’t know.
Davis, of Evans Mills, a state trooper since 2013, previously worked for the county sheriff’s office as a road patrol deputy. His brother, Josh Davis, is a police officer in Watertown. He is survived by his wife and three children.
Jerry Mikels, a friend of Nichole Walters’ from their mutual Syracuse-area hometown, said she was devoted to her toddleraged son and was always willing to help people. Nichole met Justin Walters around the time she finished high school in Mattydale, Mikels said.
“She got along with everybody,” he said. “If she knew you needed help, she would help out. She was there for my wife when she had cancer.”