In the quiet solitude of a Rochester cemetery, the life of New York State Assemblyman Bill Nojay, a 59-year-old male, came to a tragic end. On the morning of September 9, 2016, police were dispatched to Riverside Cemetery on a call to check on his welfare. What they encountered upon arrival was a scene that would ripple through the political landscape of New York.
The responding officer witnessed Nojay take his own life with a firearm near his family's burial plot.
The news of his public death, just four days before a Republican primary for his 133rd Assembly District seat, sent shockwaves of sadness and disbelief through his community and colleagues. Nojay, a resident of Pittsford, New York, was a married father of three. He had built a career as an outspoken conservative voice, a talk radio host, and a staunch advocate for upstate New York interests since his election in 2012.
In the days leading up to his death, Nojay was reportedly facing significant legal troubles. He was scheduled to appear in federal court on the very day of his suicide to face fraud-related charges connected to a trust fund he managed as an attorney. Media reports indicated that he had informed his lawyer of his intention to take his own life, prompting the call to police. In addition to the federal charges, Nojay was also facing a fraud trial in Cambodia. His death brought an end to these legal proceedings. As his death was determined to be a suicide, there were no arrests made, nor were there any suspects sought in connection with the incident.
