In the quiet, early hours of a Tuesday morning in January, the stillness of Vinegar Hill Road in the town of Shawangunk, near Pine Bush, New York, was shattered by the sound of a shotgun. On that day, January 11, 2022, 29-year-old Michael A. Hankins, a talented tattoo artist and musician from Woodridge, lost his life in a calculated act of violence. Michael, a White male, was found deceased on the side of the road, having been shot multiple times at close range.
The tragic events of that night were set in motion by a soured friendship and a new romance. Walter D. Post Jr., a 26-year-old from Pine Bush, had recently been left by his girlfriend, who had then started a relationship with Hankins. Consumed by jealousy, Post spent the hours leading up to the murder stalking his ex-girlfriend's home. When he spotted Hankins' car, he devised a plan. Post slashed the tires of the vehicle and lay in wait. When Hankins later drove away and stopped to inspect his disabled car, Post ambushed him, firing the fatal shots.
The investigation into Hankins' death moved swiftly. Following the murder, Post confessed to his mother and others what he had done. These confessions led to his surrender to the New York State Police without incident later that same morning. He was arrested and subsequently charged with second-degree murder. The legal process that followed saw an Ulster County Grand Jury indict Post on the murder charge.
In July 2022, facing the overwhelming evidence against him, Walter D. Post Jr. pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder of Michael Hankins. He expressed remorse for his actions, but the plea could not undo the profound loss felt by Hankins' loved ones. In court, Michael's mother delivered a heart-wrenching impact statement, speaking of the immense joy her son had brought into her life. In September 2022, Post was sentenced to 18 years to life in prison. The court also issued a lifetime order of protection for the Hankins family and ordered Post to pay $8,200 in restitution for funeral expenses.
