WALLKILL, NY – Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced on Tuesday, that Horace Duke, 23, of Wallkill, was convicted after a jury trial of Manslaughter in the First Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Fourth Degree.
The charges stem from a fatal road rage incident that occurred on October 20, 2022, resulting in the stabbing of a 74-year-old man. Duke faces up to 25 years in prison when sentenced on June 20, 2023.
The trial established that Duke was involved in a car accident with the victim near exit 119 of State Route 17 in Wallkill.
The incident escalated into a verbal argument, during which Duke stabbed the victim once in the chest, puncturing his heart and causing his death. Duke was arrested following a joint investigation by the Town of Wallkill Police Department, New York State Police, and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.