Site of killing cleared
Removal of the homeless encampment follows the death of a man who lived there
TOWN OF ULSTER, N.Y. >> Days after a homeless man was found stabbed to death in a county park where homeless people are known to camp, Ulster County officials have cleared the area and posted several “no trespassing” signs.
Deputy County Executive John Milgrim said the lone individual who remained on the property after the body of Guy Andradez, 59, was found on Aug. 11 has left the property. He said county officials intend to make certain that new homeless encampments don’t appear.
“The county will continue working with law enforcement to ensure that nobody improperly uses the property,” Milgrim said.
All remnants of the encampment had been cleared by Monday.
Town of Ulster Supervisor James Quigley said he saw a “large pile of debris” at the edge of the property line over the weekend, but, by Monday, it had been removed.
“I can only assume the county Highway Department went in there to clean it up,” Quigley said. “I am happy that the county has made a decision related to that parcel.”
County officials confirmed that the Highway Department cleared the area.
In 1980, the county Legislature adopted a resolution declaring the eightacre site the Harry M. Thayer Memorial Park in recognition of the wellknown civic leader and radio personality.
Recently, the area had become a favored site for homeless who set up camps on the property, located across Washington Avenue from the two QuickChek stores and abutting state Thruway property.
Last year, representatives
from several social services agencies reached out to the people living at the site in an effort to help them find permanent housing. It is uncertain whether any of those living at the site prior to Andradez’s death were among those who there in 2018.
On Aug. 11, Andradez’s body was discovered by Tom Brener, who said he had lived in the riverside encampment for the past five years. Andradez’s body was under a collapsed tent, which Brener said was drawn over Andradez’s body like a tarp.
Brener said Andradez had been camping in the park with a woman for about six weeks, but that the woman had left a week before Andradez’s death.
On Aug. 12, police arrested 36-year-old Lance J. Ferguson and charged him with Andradez’s death. Police said Andradez had been stabbed multiple
times.
Ferguson was charged with second-degree murder, fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, concealment of a human corpse and tampering with physical evidence, all felonies. Ulster Town Justice Marsha Weiss has ordered that Ferguson undergo a psychiatric evaluation to determine whether he is competent to stand trial.
Town of Ulster Police Chief Kyle Berardi said the encampment was “something that requires some police activity” and said police would occasionally get called down to the area, often over homeless men and women coming from there to a nearby Quikchek store and causing disturbances.
On July 15, Andradez was charged with felony assault by town of Ulster police after he was accused of striking someone with a rock and a frying pan.