ALBANY MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO MURDER DURING FIRST DAY OF TRIAL

(SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y.) – Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced the conviction of Kason Parker, 35, of Albany, of Murder in the Second Degree for the fatal stabbing of Meghan Kiefer in 2021.

“This defendant showed no mercy in the brutal and senseless murder of the victim, Meghan Kiefer,” said District Attorney Tierney. “The defendant chose to plead guilty rather than go to trial once he was confronted in court with the irrefutable evidence in this case put together by the Suffolk County Police Department. This plea will not return Ms. Kiefer to her family, but hopefully, it will provide a small measure of closure for all those that loved her.”

According to the investigation, on the afternoon of Saturday, October 23, 2021, Kiefer, 27, of Coram, had planned to go shopping with her friend, but first stopped by her home to pick up her credit card from Parker, her ex-boyfriend. Parker had been staying with Kiefer at her home. Kiefer’s friend drove Kiefer to her home that afternoon, while her friend’s one year-old twins were in the back seat.

When they arrived, Kiefer’s friend pulled into the driveway and Kiefer went inside. When Kiefer exited the home, her friend observed Parker and Kiefer engaging in a verbal argument on the front porch of the home. Shortly thereafter, Kiefer walked back to her friend’s vehicle. However, after opening the passenger door of the vehicle, Parker pulled Kiefer away from the car and began stabbing her with a knife. Once Kiefer’s friend saw her covered in blood and lying motionless on the ground next to the vehicle, the friend got out of the vehicle to render aid. Parker then started to come after the friend, who then retreated to the street out of fear before running back to her car when Parker got into his own vehicle.

Parker then backed out of the driveway, hit the friend’s car, and fled down the street. Kiefer’s friend immediately called 911, and identified the assailant as Kiefer’s boyfriend, having met him before. She also described the red four-door sedan that he fled in, and provided his license plate information. It was later determined that Parker owned a red Acura.

Parker stabbed Kiefer 54 times in her face, neck, head, and torso. Kiefer was also found with defensive wounds to her hands. While being transported to Stony Brook University Hospital, Kiefer went into cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead within minutes of arriving at the hospital.

Suffolk County Police Department immediately began searching for Parker. On Sunday, October 24, 2021, Crime Stoppers received a tip that Parker intended to flee to North Carolina via a Port Authority bus from New York City. Detectives from the Homicide Squad subsequently found Parker on a Port Authority Bus destined to North Carolina. Although initially, when asked his name, Parker stated it was Steven, detectives were able to properly identify him as Kason Parker. Parker was arrested on the bus, and was found to have a bandage on his right hand, and had a bag of medical supplies with him. Parker later received medical treatment at Brookhaven Memorial Hospital, due to a massive laceration to the inside of his right palm.

The following day, on Monday, October 25, 2021, Parker’s red Acura was found abandoned at Schmitt’s Family Farm in Dix Hills with the interior of the vehicle covered in what appeared to be blood. A search warrant was executed on the vehicle, which revealed a tremendous amount of physical evidence including a folding knife recovered from the driver’s side door which would later test presumptively positive for blood. An additional examination would reveal a mixture of DNA that was attributable to both Kiefer and Parker. Parker’s clothing, also found within the vehicle, tested positive for Kiefer’s blood. Finally, video surveillance recovered from a dashboard camera found in the vehicle captured Parker’s flight from the scene of Kiefer’s murder, as well as Parker making multiple admissions to taking Kiefer’s life.

The trial began on April 26, 2021 with jury selection before Supreme Court Justice, the Honorable Timothy P. Mazzei. Opening statements began on the morning of May 1, 2023. Three witnesses had already testified at the time Parker pleaded guilty. One witness was from the Communications Section of the Suffolk County Police Department, who played the 911 call for the jury. The next two witnesses testified as to the attempts made to save the mortally injured victim’s life. A Suffolk County Police Department Sergeant testified that he unsuccessfully rendered first aid to Kiefer in an attempt to save her life, and a surgeon also testified as to his efforts to try to save the victim’s life at Stony Brook University Hospital, where the victim ultimately bled to death. On the afternoon of May 1, 2023, Parker pleaded guilty to Murder in the Second Degree, a Class A felony, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years to life prison. Parker, who is being represented by Joseph Hanshe, Esq., waived his right to appeal. Parker is due back in court on May 31, 2023 for sentencing.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Eric S. Aboulafia of the Homicide Bureau and Veronica McMahon of the Major Crime Bureau.

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