On December 1, 1979, at approximately 10:00 P.M., defendant, using a friend’s car, left a bar in St. Regis Falls, New York, in the company of Marie Odette Huckins. At about 1:00 A.M. the following morning, defendant returned to the bar, covered with blood, screaming and crying that he had killed a woman. Although his friend and other patrons helped clean him up and alerted the State Police, they were unable to calm defendant who went to the nearby residence of a relative. From there he telephoned his mother telling her also what he had done. When the State trooper arrived and came into defendant’s presence, defendant immediately stated: “I’m Dennis Mitchell. I’m the one that killed the woman. She tried to roll me and I took a knife and started stabbing her.” When asked if the woman was dead, defendant replied that he had stabbed her at least 15 times. In response to further questioning he led the police to the scene and later to the area where he had discarded his knife. Defendant’s assigned counsel made no pretrial motions for discovery or suppression. Notice was furnished of defendant’s intention to rely upon the defense of mental disease or defect. However, during the third day of this nonjury trial, defendant informed his attorney that his oft-repeated story was fabricated, that a man he did not know and could not describe, other than very generally, had murdered Huckins, and that defendant dared not reveal this earlier for fear of reprisals against his wife and child. After his request for a continuance to investigate this version of the events was quite properly denied (see People v Messina, 73 A.D.2d 899), defendant’s counsel proceeded with his case as planned, using medical experts and testimony of defendant’s family in an attempt to prove the affirmative defense of extreme emotional disturbance. Defendant himself was not called to the stand. The court found defendant guilty of murder in the second degree and sentenced him to an indeterminate term of 20 years to life imprisonment.
Find-A-Grave: Marie Odette Huckins
Convicted murderer arrested in assault
People of the State of New York v Dennis J. Mitchell, Sr 1982 (conviction and sentence affirmed)
Dead Silent spotlights the murder of Marie Odette Huckins
Movies/Documentaries
Dead Silent: A History of Violence
INMATE INFORMATION
Identifying and Location Information
As of 11/14/17
DIN (Department Identification Number) 80B0843
Inmate Name MITCHELL, DENNIS J
Sex MALE
Date of Birth 10/03/1960
Race / Ethnicity WHITE
Custody Status RELEASED
Housing / Releasing Facility BARE HILL
Date Received (Original) 05/21/1980
Date Received (Current) 07/26/2012
Admission Type
County of Commitment ST. LAWRENCE
Latest Release Date / Type (Released Inmates Only) 03/01/13 PAROLE DIV OF PAROLE
Crimes of Conviction
Crime MURDER 2ND
Class A1
Sentence Terms and Release Dates
Under certain circumstances, an inmate may be released prior to serving his or her minimum term and before the earliest release date shown for the inmate.
As of 11/14/17
Aggregate Minimum Sentence 0020 Years, 00 Months, 00 Days
Aggregate Maximum Sentence LIFE Years, 99 Months, 99 Days
Earliest Release Date
Earliest Release Type
Parole Hearing Date 01/2013
Parole Hearing Type PAROLE VIOLATOR ASSESSED EXPIRATION
Parole Eligibility Date 11/28/1999
Conditional Release Date NONE
Maximum Expiration Date LIFE
Maximum Expiration Date for Parole Supervision
Post Release Supervision Maximum Expiration Date
Parole Board Discharge Date<
