Gruesome killing still unsolved after 11 years
TOWN OF ULSTER, N.Y. >> Eleven years after the gruesome homicide of Kerhonkson resident Michael Kleiman, police continue to hold out hope that his killer will be found.
Kleiman’s decapitated body was found July 25, 2008, in a burned-out Nissan pickup in wooded area off state Route 32 in East Kingston, part of the town of Ulster. His hands also had been cut off. The 59-year-old last was seen alive the previous day in Kerhonkson.
Police said at the time that they believed Kleiman was killed elsewhere and that he probably knew his assailant. Kleiman stood 6-foot-2 and weighed 230 pounds. He lived alone and had a quiet lifestyle, according to police. He worked as a nurse’s aide at a children’s hospital in Westchester County, and he liked to go antiquing and swim at local swimming holes.
The original lead detective in the case, Brian Reavy, retired recently. He’s been replaced by Joseph Trapanese.
Ulster Police Department Detective Sgt. Robert Sykes said Trapanese brings to it “a fresh set of eyes ... new ideas and new tactics.”
“We continue to follow leads and actively investigate the case,” said Sykes, who also is new to the department. “We will work diligently on it ‘til we come to a resolution for the family.”
Kleiman’s family is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the killer.
Police are asking the public to call or email with any tips. The Ulster Police Department can be reached by phone at (845) 382-1111 or its tip line at (845) 3363784. Sykes’ email address is rjsykes@ulsterpolice. com.
Tips also can be mailed to Town of Ulster Police Department, 1 Town Hall Drive, Lake Katrine, N.Y. 12449.