PLATTSBURGH — Joe Hewett, the man charged with killing two Plattsburgh women late last year in the Town of Plattsburgh, pleaded guilty Monday morning to two counts of second-degree murder, one count of third-degree arson and two counts of concealment of a human corpse.
Hewett was facing these charges for the murder of Miranda R. Wade (Mero), 42, and Karen A. Lindsay (Besaw), 64, a mother and daughter both of Plattsburgh, who were found dead in black garbage bags near their home at 2 Birch St. on Dec. 16, 2024.
Hewett, 50, was Wade’s boyfriend.
Clinton County District Attorney Andrew Wylie previously said the murders were the “most horrific” he’s seen in his 19 years on the job. He later explained this was because of the condition Wade’s and Lindsay’s remains were found in.
“I just think the conditions of the case, the circumstances in which everything occurred, was just (horrific).”
The victims were previously determined to be killed on Dec. 5, 2024. They were reported missing to police on Dec. 12, 2024.
According to a news release sent to local media Monday from the District Attorney’s Office, Hewett cut up the remains of Wade and Lindsay, sometime late Dec. 14, 2024 into the early morning hours of Dec. 15, with a chainsaw he purchased at Harbor Freight in Plattsburgh Dec. 13.
He then removed the remains to the outside of 4 Birch St., then set fire to 2 Birch St. early in the morning of Dec. 15, in order to destroy any physical evidence of the murders, the release said.
Emergency Services and law enforcement arrived on scene before Hewett could remove the remains of Wade and Lindsay from the Birch Street area.
COURT APPEARANCE
Many family members of Miranda Wade and Karen Lindsay were present in court Monday morning for Hewett’s plea.
Wylie said Hewett was originally scheduled for a regular conference appearance Monday but his attorney, Clinton County public defender Jamie Martineau, said Hewett was ready to accept the plea offer the two sides had been negotiating for weeks.
In a statement Monday, Wylie said “today’s court appearance was scheduled for a pre-trial conference, but the defendant, through his attorney, advised the Court that he was ready to enter a plea of guilty as outlined above.”
“Plea negotiations have been ongoing for the past few weeks, the defendant appeared in Court this morning and accepted the terms of the plea offer,” Wylie continued.
“It was crucial to this office and the victims’ family members that Hewett receive either a life without parole sentence or two consecutive 25 years-to-life sentences, which we were able to accomplish today. The family members were extremely relieved that this part of the case is behind us.”
PLEA
In an interview Monday afternoon, Wylie said there were several conditions included in Hewett’s plea agreement as well.
“The defendant waived his right to appeal, waived his right to trial, waived his rights to post-conviction remedies,” Wylie said.
“That doesn’t mean down the road that he doesn’t enter a plea or file an appeal with the Appellate Division, but it just has that aspect of the plea condition, which is something that we wanted in this case.
“Part of the other conditions are restitution to the property owner of the trailer at … 2 Birch Street. The other … (condition) was restitution for any funeral expenses not covered by the Office of Victim Services or the state agency.”
Wylie said it would be unlikely Hewett pays the restitution, given that he’ll likely spend the rest of his life in prison if the expected sentences are handed down, but he always includes that in the plea offer.
SENTENCING
Hewett is now expected back in court before County Court Judge William A. Favreau on June 12 at 9:30 a.m. for sentencing.
It is anticipated that Hewett will be sentenced to two consecutive 25 years-to-life sentences on each count of murder in the second degree; seven-and-a-half years to 15 years sentence on count of arson in the third degree; and two to four years on each count of concealment of a human corpse.
The sentences for arson in the third degree and two counts of concealment of a human corpse are to be imposed concurrently with each other and concurrently with the two consecutive sentences of 25 years to life on each count of murder in the second degree, Wylie said.
Wylie said it is highly unlikely that Hewett could back out of the plea agreement between now and sentencing.
“He would have to have a reason or a basis to,” he said.
“The court went through extensive plea colloquy, (and) the appropriate waivers were all set forth on the record by Judge Favreau in a very precise manner.”
Wylie said it was a relief to have a quick resolution to this case for both his office and the victims’ family members.
“The best way to put it is that it relieves our office of having to continue to address this case when we can now continue to address some of the other, not only other homicide cases, but some of the other serious cases that we have, and put more attention to those now,” he said.
“So … it’s a relief for us, it’s a relief for the family — probably more so for the family to … put this behind them.”