On a tragic afternoon in August, the life of 64-year-old Stephen Falise was brought to a violent end in the rural town of Scriba, New York, not far from Oswego. A long-simmering dispute with his neighbor, 79-year-old Donald Coon, escalated with fatal consequences on August 11, 2022. The day had begun like many others for Falise, who was out working on his tractor in his field, a testament to his love for farming and working the land he owned.
The Oswego County Sheriff's Office received a menacing complaint around 4:48 p.m. that day. The caller reported that Coon was on Falise's property, armed with a shotgun and operating a UTV. While deputies were en route, the situation took a grim turn as reports of shots fired came in. By the time law enforcement arrived at the scene on Middle Road, it was too late. Coon was taken into custody shortly after their arrival.
A search of the property led to the discovery of Stephen Falise's body, located in his field near his tractor. The investigation revealed that Coon had driven his UTV onto his neighbor's property, where he found Falise on his tractor. It was there that Coon allegedly shot Falise multiple times in the back, ending his life. The long-standing animosity between the two men had culminated in a fatal act of violence.
Donald Coon was arrested and subsequently charged with Murder in the second degree. He was arraigned in Oswego County CAP Court and remanded to the Oswego County Jail without bail. The case was scheduled for a future court date as the investigation into the senseless killing of Stephen Falise continued, leaving a family and community to mourn the loss of a man described as a great listener who never knew a stranger.
