Trial of Falls man on murder, sexual abuse and other charges begins today in Niagara County Court

Rick Pfeiffer -, Niagara Gazette, Niagara Falls, N.Y.
·2 min read

Jun. 1—LOCKPORT — Opening statements are set for later this morning in the trial of a Falls man accused of the murder and sexual abuse of a young mother in September 2020.

Atrel M. Hudson, 29, faces a six-count indictment that charges him with two counts of first-degree murder, one count of second-degree murder and single counts of second-degree burglary, first-degree sexual abuse and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon for the attack on and the slaying of Mariah Wilson.

Hudson has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is acting as his own attorney in the case. He is being assisted by a Niagara County public defender.

If Hudson were to be convicted on the murder, sexual abuse and other charges, he could face a sentence of up to life in prison. He already faces a possible sentence of up to 25 years behind bars as a result of an earlier conviction, in October, for first-degree robbery in an unrelated case.

A 12-member jury, with two alternates, will weigh the case against Hudson. The jury was seated Wednesday afternoon after questioning by Hudson and Niagara County prosecutors, including District Attorney Brian Seaman. The case is being presided over by Niagara County Court Judge John Ottaviano.

Hudson has been jailed since his arrest in October 2020 in connection with the hold-up of a convenience store on Pine Avenue in September 2020. He was indicted in that case in February 2021 and charged in the murder case in May 2022.

Seaman has said that the murder and sexual abuse indictment was the result of an intensive 18-month investigation by detectives in the Falls Police Criminal Investigation Division.

Patrol officers had been called to a home at 1701 LaSalle Ave. on the morning of Sept. 4, 2020, to "check the welfare" of the resident of an apartment there. When they arrived, officers said they found Wilson's body lying on the floor of her apartment, deceased.

Wilson, 28, was the mother of two young children.

While detectives have declined to comment on the cause of Wilson's death, members of her family have posted on social media that she was "beat to death."

The indictment accuses Hudson of breaking into Wilson's apartment and sexually abusing her before killing her. It also accuses him of possessing "a loaded firearm" on the day of Wilson's death.

In October, a Niagara County Court jury convicted Hudson of the armed robbery of a Cataract City convenience store. A co-defendant, Keyon Barber, pleaded guilty to the same charge just before the start of jury selection Hudson's case.