On the afternoon of December 23, 2025, a violent domestic incident unfolded at a residence on Heights Trail in the village of South Blooming Grove, New York. At approximately 4:41 p.m., troopers from the New York State Police barracks in Monroe responded to the home after receiving a report of an unresponsive woman who had sustained a gunshot wound. Upon arrival, law enforcement officials discovered 45-year-old Tanzanica Dickerson, a female resident of the home, suffering from a gunshot injury and other signs of physical trauma.
Emergency medical personnel at the scene immediately initiated life-saving measures in an attempt to stabilize the victim. She was subsequently transported by ambulance to Garnet Health Medical Center in the Town of Wallkill for further treatment. Despite the efforts of first responders and medical staff, Dickerson succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead at the hospital. An autopsy later conducted by the Orange County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that the cause of death was a gunshot wound complicated by blunt force trauma, ruling the manner of death a homicide.
Investigators from the State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Forensic Investigation Unit, and the Major Crimes Unit launched an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting. The preliminary investigation revealed that Dickerson resided at the home with 44-year-old Joseph M. Pennyfeather III. According to police reports, the two were involved in a verbal argument inside the residence that escalated into a physical confrontation, ultimately leading to the discharge of a firearm.
Joseph Pennyfeather was taken into custody at the scene of the incident. Following the investigation, he was formally arrested and charged with Murder in the Second Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree. He was arraigned in the City of Middletown Court and remanded to the Orange County Jail without bail. Pennyfeather was initially scheduled to appear in the Town of Blooming Grove Court on December 29, 2025, but the case is reportedly moving toward a grand jury indictment in Orange County Court. Family members have described the victim as a devoted mother of four and have publicly sought justice as the legal proceedings move forward.
