In the quiet town of Johnsburg, New York, a personal dispute between two brothers culminated in a tragic end. On the afternoon of August 9, 2017, the Warren County Emergency Dispatch Center received a distressing 911 call. The caller, 76-year-old George Puglisi, stated that he had shot and killed his younger brother and intended to take his own life.
Law enforcement was immediately dispatched to the residence at 802 South Johnsburg Road, where they discovered a grim scene.
Inside the home, they found the body of 71-year-old Dennis Puglisi, who had sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the head. His brother, George, was found unconscious and unresponsive with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Emergency medical services attempted life-saving measures on George and he was airlifted to Albany Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead later that evening.
Investigations into the incident revealed a history of personal disputes between the two brothers, who had both moved to the Adirondack region from New York City years prior. Authorities indicated that George, who was a former taxi driver in Brooklyn, had been worried about his health. A note left at the scene suggested that he was concerned about his younger brother being left in the care of others. There was no prior record of police activity at the residence. The investigation concluded that George Puglisi used one of his handguns to kill his brother before turning the weapon on himself in what was determined to be a murder-suicide.
