Suspect arrested in murder of Port Henry man

Lohr McKinstry, The Press-Republican, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Updated ·2 min read

Apr. 2—ELIZABETHTOWN — A Brooklyn man has been charged with murder after he allegedly shot a Port Henry man during a dispute on the Lincoln Pond Road early Monday morning.

Qwavon M. Harris, 28, of Brooklyn was arraigned in Elizabethtown Town Court Tuesday afternoon and charged with felony second-degree murder and two counts of misdemeanor criminal possession of a weapon.

He entered a plea of not guilty.

Harris was located at the Stewart's Shop in Elizabethtown by the Essex County Sheriff's Department later Monday morning and taken into custody before being turned over to State Police.

During a court appearance Tuesday, Harris plead not guilty to the charges.

SHOOTING VICTIM

Harris allegedly shot William E. Ball, 40, of Port Henry in his vehicle near 4829 Lincoln Pond Road at about 5:31 a.m., according to State Police.

An autopsy performed Tuesday at Glens Falls Hospital determined Ball's cause of death was a gunshot wound to the right shoulder, and Forensic Pathologist Dr. Michael Sikirica ruled the manner of death to be a homicide.

Following the shooting, Harris ran into the nearby woods and made his way to Park Street in Elizabethtown, where he entered Stewart's.

Dressed in a sweatshirt and jeans with leg irons and handcuffs, Harris was led into Elizabethtown Town Court by state troopers for his arraignment. He was represented by Essex County Assistant Public Defender Eric Weyand.

Harris, from Linden Street in Brooklyn, said he was indigent.

COURT APPEARANCE

At the termination of a 10-minute proceeding, Justice Peter Deming remanded Harris without bail to the Essex County Jail in Lewis. He was turned over to the Essex County Sheriff's Department.

After a brief discussion which included the impending snow storm and Monday's eclipse, Harris is scheduled to reappear in Elizabethtown Town Court on Friday, April 5, at 10 a.m.

There may be more charges pending, Essex County District Attorney Kristy Sprague said.

State Police closed the Lincoln Pond Road (County Route 7) early Monday morning and didn't reopen it until Tuesday morning.

The investigation is ongoing, and State Police continue to ask for anyone who lives on Lincoln Pond Road to check their security cameras for any suspicious activity. If anyone has information regarding this incident they're asked to call State Police at 518-873-2777.

There were possibly at least two other people at the location. A witness driving by saw two people apparently fleeing in a pickup truck at about 5:20 a.m.

Police said they executed multiple search warrants at locations around the area, but didn't say where, gathering evidence and looking for others who were at the shooting scene.

The investigation is being handled by the New York State Police, Essex County District Attorney's Office, and Essex County Sheriff's Department, with assistance from State Forest Rangers.