Two men arrested after fatal shooting of Marist College student's dad

POUGHKEEPSIE – Two men were arrested after the fatal shooting of the father of a Marist College student while he was staying at a Route 9 hotel, where police said the two men also had bomb-making materials.

Many questions remain about how Paul Kutz, 53, ended up being shot in the Courtyard by Marriott in the town of Poughkeepsie. Town of Poughkeepsie police have released few details about the incident, which occurred around 7:30 a.m. Sunday, the final day of Marist's "family weekend" on campus.

Police said they arrested Roy Johnson and Devin Taylor following the shooting. They described both men as "homeless" but said it was unclear where they have been living.

"As far as we can establish, they are mostly transient and there is not a fixed address for either," said Lt. Jason Burger of the town of Poughkeepsie police.

Johnson, a 35-year-old whose last known address was in Hyde Park, has been accused of shooting Kutz in the chest and torso with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun, according to a felony complaint filed in Poughkeepsie Town Court. Johnson was charged with second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, both felonies.

Taylor, a 26-year-old whose last known address was in the town of Poughkeepsie, was also arrested at the scene. He was charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a felony, for having a loaded .223-caliber rifle that had no serial number, according to a complaint.

Both men were arraigned and are being held at the Dutchess County Jail. They are due back in Poughkeepsie Town Court on Oct. 7.

Both men are being represented by the Dutchess County Public Defender's Office, which declined to comment on the case.

Johnson previously served time in prison for felony convictions for first-degree robbery and first-degree burglary in Dutchess County, according to the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. Taylor spent time in prison for third-degree burglary, a felony, in Dutchess, according to DOCCS.

Police said Johnson and Taylor had been staying at the hotel at 2641 South Road, but it was not clear how long they had been there or if they were there through a housing program. Courtyard by Marriott's corporate office did not return messages. Dutchess County said it does not work with that hotel for any housing services and that Johnson and Taylor were not clients of the county's Department of Community and Family Services.

Chief Joseph Cavaliere would not say what led to the shooting in the hotel. He said Johnson and Taylor did not know Kutz.

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Numerous law enforcement agencies swarmed the hotel after the shooting. Town of Poughkeepsie police responded to the hotel within five minutes of receiving a 911 call about a disturbance and shots fired, Cavaliere said. An officer took Taylor into custody in the hotel's courtyard, then a second officer took Johnson into custody inside the hotel, Cavaliere said.

Kutz was taken to MidHudson Regional Hospital in Poughkeepsie, where he was pronounced dead. No one else was injured at the hotel.

A search of the room where Johnson and Taylor had been staying uncovered bomb-making materials and manuals, police said. That led to the state police bomb squad and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives responding.

The hotel was evacuated while the building was searched. Cavaliere said no explosives were found. Dutchess County Chief Assistant District Attorney Matthew Weishaupt said he has been in touch with federal prosecutors but it was not yet clear if Johnson and Taylor will face federal charges, as well.

As of Monday afternoon, guests were still not allowed to return to the Courtyard by Marriott. Town of Poughkeepsie police were inside the hotel Monday and the door to enter the lobby was locked. An employee at the hotel's front desk said no one there could comment on the situation.

Marist College said in a statement Sunday that "authorities made us aware of the tragic, fatal shooting of a family member of a Marist student at a local hotel several miles from campus. Our deepest condolences go out to the family, and we are offering the full support of the Marist community."

Matt Spillane covers breaking news throughout the Hudson Valley. Click here for his latest stories. Follow him on Twitter @MattSpillane. Check out our latest subscription offers here.

This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Poughkeepsie shooting: Men arrested after Marist student's dad killed