GOSHEN – Edward Holley has filed a notice of claim against the State Police and Orange County, indicating his intention to sue both entities three months after he was acquitted in the murder of Megan McDonald.
The claim seeks damages for lost wages, emotional distress, reputational harm, and the nearly three years Holley spent behind bars before his acquittal. Holley’s lead attorney, Paul Weber, could not immediately be reached for comment. Another Holley lawyer, Eli Siems, declined to comment on the matter.
Orange County Attorney Rick Golden said the claim against the county “has no legal merit.” The State Police did not immediately return a message seeking comment for this story.
The most serious allegations in the 96-page claim, filed in Orange County Court, are directed at the State Police. The filing accuses five State Police investigators and Orange County of misconduct during the investigation and prosecution that ultimately led to Holley’s 2023 arrest in connection with McDonald’s murder, which occurred two decades earlier in the Town of Wallkill.
Holley, who has used a wheelchair for nearly two decades after sustaining spinal injuries in a car crash, spent more than two years in Orange County Jail before a jury found him not guilty in March following two trials. His first trial ended with a hung jury in April 2025.
Orange County is named in the claim because it retained special prosecutors Julia Cornachio and Laura Murphy, who tried both cases with funding totaling approximately $2 million approved by the Orange County Legislature. The special prosecutors were appointed after District Attorney David Hoovler recused himself from the case because of a conflict of interest. Before becoming district attorney, Hoovler, while in private practice, represented a client in negotiations with the district attorney’s office regarding potential information the client might provide about McDonald’s death.
Hoovler had previously said the case against Holley was weak and that more evidence was needed to prosecute it at the time of his arrest. When Holley was arrested in 2023, State Police did not provide Hoovler with advance notice.
The claim alleges the State Police conspired to force the recusal of Hoovler and Orange County Court Judge Craig Brown from the case. The filing noted that in its “good-faith exercise of professional and ethical responsibility,” the District Attorney’s Office determined there was no probable cause to arrest Holley in McDonald’s murder.
The filing contends that after Hoovler recused himself from the case on April 26, 2023, State Police Investigator Brad Natalizio texted colleague Kevin Chorzempa: “We forced change. Hoovler was never going to recuse himself until an arrest was made. Which shows he had no plan to put this to a grand jury.”
The claim further alleges that Natalizio made numerous false statements about the evidence and his investigation during Holley’s first trial. According to the filing, Natalizio also failed to pursue unfinished investigative leads involving McDonald’s ex-boyfriend, Paulie Simpson, and his associates because Simpson had been “eliminated” as a suspect through his review of the case. The claim also alleges Natalizio did not renew previous unsuccessful attempts to collect DNA from Danielle Rzeczkowski.
Simpson dated Rzeczkowski after his relationship with McDonald. McDonald had a tumultuous relationship with Simpson, who reportedly had bleach burns on his hands shortly after her murder. The claim alleges that the State Police began a media campaign in 2022 to divert public attention and suspicion away from Simpson and other suspects.
Holley’s lawyers also wrote in their filings that Natalizio and Peter Cirigliano II, a State Police Captain at the time, discussed a strategy of “emotional manipulation” in order to get Executive Assistant District Attorney Leah Canton to charge Holley. The plan included sending Canton photos of McDonald.
In a text message on October 27, 2022, it is alleged that Natalizio wrote to Cirigliano “she (Canton) might be the key” and “we need to get her emotionally involved.” Natalizio added: “That’s a good pic for that.” Cirigliano allegedly replied: “Chess-physical and mental. All part of the big picture.” Cirigliano added, “I told Leah that it will define her career.”
Natalizio was not called as a witness by prosecutors during the second Holley trial.
Natalizio and another State Police investigator who worked on the McDonald case, Michael Corletta, were two of 18 members to receive commendation awards from Superintendent Steven G. James at a ceremony in Albany in May of 2024. The pair was recognized for their work on the McDonald case. The awards “recognize the recipients’ outstanding performance of duty and exceptional contribution to the New York State Police.”
“I believe that while many members of the State Police carried out their duties professionally, there are aspects of this case that raise some concerns about whether some individuals may have been influenced by personal interests rather than complete impartiality,” said one of Holley’s relatives, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “Public confidence in any investigation depends not only on fairness, but also on the appearance of fairness. When personal relationships or potential personal gain exist, they can create reasonable questions about impartiality that deserve careful consideration.”
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