WATERLOO — Most of the statements made to law enforcement by a local man accused of killing his wife can be used at his trial, which is slated for early December.
During a conference Monday in the case of John Gray III, Seneca County Judge Barry Porsch also ruled that all the search warrants state police obtained in the case are valid. That means all the evidence collected can be used at Gray’s trial, which is scheduled to begin Dec. 6.
Gray faces a charge of second-degree murder in the death of his wife, Geneva Middle School teacher Ashia Chilson-Gray. Her body was found by Waterloo police on the morning of Nov. 23, 2020 at her East River Street home.
Gray barricaded himself inside an apartment at Elmcrest Apartments in Geneva later that morning. He surrendered several hours later after talks with family and friends, as well as police.
Porsch’s decisions came after a suppression hearing in July. Several state police officers testified, including Inv. Andrew Jasie.
Jasie said after Gray invoked his right to an attorney he said — unprompted — “I did it all. That’s just for you. I did it all.”
Another state police investigator, Anthony DeMarco, testified that while he was at the county jail serving a search warrant on Gray he overheard Gray respond to another inmate who was asking why Gray was there.
“I’m about to do 50 years to life,” DeMarco said he heard Gray tell the other inmate. “Alvie killed her but I had to kill Alvie.”
The reference to Alvie was not explained at the hearing. However, at the time Gray was arrested police in Cayuga County were looking into an apparent assault that could have been connected to the Waterloo case.
Seneca County District Attorney Mark Sinkiewicz referred questions on the alleged assault to Cayuga County officials, who did not respond to a request for information.
Sinkiewicz said Porsch did suppress a statement Gray made to a Seneca County corrections officer in a van before Gray was arraigned.
Inv. Joseph Zabawa testified at the hearing that he collected evidence from the East River Street home, which included two shell casings that matched a handgun police found at Elmcrest Apartments. Zabawa said he also found blood in a car police believe Gray drove to Geneva.
Gray is being held in the Seneca County Jail on $100,000 bail, $200,000 bail bond, or $400,000 partially secured bond.
