In the autumn of 1996, the life of 30-year-old Wendy Meyers was tragically cut short in Poughkeepsie, New York. A white female, Meyers became the first victim of a man who would come to be known as 'The Poughkeepsie Killer.' On October 24, 1996, she was picked up by Kendall Francois and taken to his family's home on Fulton Avenue. There, in an act of brutal violence, he strangled her.
To ensure she was dead, Francois then drowned her in a bathtub.
Following the murder, Francois concealed Wendy Meyers' body in the attic of the house he shared with his unsuspecting parents and sister. Her disappearance marked the beginning of a two-year reign of terror during which Francois would go on to murder seven other women. The victims were often vulnerable women, and their disappearances did not initially spark a massive investigation, allowing the killer to continue his gruesome acts undetected for a prolonged period.
The truth of what happened to Wendy Meyers and the other victims came to light in September 1998, when Francois was finally arrested. His confession shocked the community, as he admitted to killing eight women and revealed that he had hidden their bodies throughout his home. For the murder of Wendy Meyers and the seven other women, Kendall Francois was charged with eight counts of first-degree murder. To avoid the death penalty, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Francois died in prison in 2014.
