Exclusive: Edward Holley accuses NYSP of misconduct, plans lawsuit after acquittal
The filing accuses state police of manipulating evidence, influencing witnesses, ignoring other suspects and creating conflicts of interest to keep the case against Holley moving forward.
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Just months after a jury acquitted him in the Megan McDonald murder case, Edward Holley has formally put Orange County and New York State Police on notice that he intends to sue.
News 12 has obtained a 96-page notice of claim filed in state court accusing five New York State Police investigators and Orange County itself of misconduct during the investigation and prosecution that ultimately led to Holley’s arrest in 2023.
According to the filing, Orange County is named because it retained special prosecutors Julia Cornachio and Laura Murphy and employed investigator Christopher Kelly, all of whom Holley’s attorneys claim were directly involved in advancing the case against him.
Holley spent more than two years behind bars before a jury found him not guilty in March following two trials. His first trial ended with a hung jury.
The filing describes Holley’s prosecution as “a gross miscarriage of justice” and seeks damages for what his attorneys describe as years of lost freedom, lost income, emotional distress and damage to his reputation.
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The filing repeatedly alleges that investigators lacked probable cause to charge Holley. In one passage, his attorneys claim state police were “repeatedly advised that they did not have probable cause to charge Holley,” but continued pursuing the case anyway.
It goes on to accuse state police of manipulating evidence, influencing witnesses and using the media to help shape public opinion against Holley.
The filing cites text messages that Holley’s attorneys claim show investigators discussing efforts to “change the public mindset” about the case. Another message allegedly states, “We are being a little more aggressive this year,” while discussing efforts to publicly identify a suspect.
Holley’s attorneys also point to messages they claim discussed efforts to “control the narrative” surrounding the investigation.
Holley’s attorneys also allege District Attorney Dave Hoovler and Orange County Court Judge Craig Brown raised concerns about whether there was enough evidence to move the case forward.
The filing further alleges that state police later created conflicts of interest that removed both Hoovler and Brown from the case.
Hoovler recused himself shortly after Holley’s arrest in 2023 because he had previously represented another potential suspect in the case while in private practice.
Among the damages sought are compensation for lost wages, emotional distress, reputational harm and the more than two years Holley spent incarcerated before being acquitted.
The notice of claim is a required legal step before a lawsuit can be filed against a government entity.
Orange County Attorney Rick Golden confirmed the county has received the filing.
“The county will vigorously defend the county defendants in this action when it is ultimately filed,” Golden told News 12. “I believe that the claim has no legal merit.”
New York State Police also confirmed receipt of the notice of claim but declined to comment on the allegations.
The filing marks the latest chapter in a case that has spanned more than two decades and remains one of the Hudson Valley’s most closely watched murder investigations.
