Contract Killing: Man Who Arranged Wallkill Neighbor's Murder Gets Life Sentence

Orange County resident Enoch Lowe, age 25, of Wallkill, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in Orange County Court on Thursday, July 18, following convictions for murder and related charges in the death of Jeffrey Harris.

Prosecutors said Lowe agreed to pay 24-year-old Damante Stansberry, of Middletown, $15,000 to kill the 53-year-old Harris, a neighbor with whom he had a longstanding feud.

Harris was found dead from multiple stab wounds inside his detached garage on the evening of Oct. 30, 2022.

According to investigators, Lowe acted as a lookout while Stansberry repeatedly stabbed the man, who had been repairing a fence in his backyard at the time.

Text messages recovered by police showed that Lowe told Stansberry to signal when the victim was outside his home, alone, and vulnerable to attack.

Evidence also showed that the perpetrators spoke on the phone immediately after the killing.

Stansberry pleaded guilty to murder in March 2023 and is awaiting sentencing.

Lowe was arrested nearly a year after the killing, on Oct. 10, 2023, following a multi-agency investigation that included Wallkill Police, New York State Police, the FBI, and the US Secret Service.

An Orange County jury found him guilty of first-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence, and conspiracy on Thursday, May 16.

“The only sentence appropriate in this case is the one imposed, which ensures this violent offender will never again be able to hurt anyone in our community,” said Orange County DA David Hoovler.

“I offer my condolences to the victim’s family and friends, and I hope that the sentence imposed renders a degree of closure.”

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