In the late hours of a Tuesday night in Esopus, New York, a domestic dispute shattered the quiet, leaving 33-year-old Brianna S. Wittl with a fatal gunshot wound. On September 1, 2026, Ulster County Sheriff's deputies and New York State Police were dispatched to a residence on Route 213 around 11:30 p.m. following a report of an unconscious woman. First responders found Wittl unresponsive and provided emergency medical aid before she was rushed to HealthAlliance Hospital in Kingston, where she ultimately succumbed to her injuries.
The preliminary investigation revealed a verbal argument between Wittl and her 47-year-old fiancé, William F. Dearden, had escalated into a physical altercation. It was during this confrontation that Dearden allegedly shot Wittl with a handgun. Dearden, a local contractor, was promptly taken into custody. Social media posts by Wittl had previously depicted a happy life with Dearden, with photos of them enjoying time on a boat and dining out. County records indicate that the couple co-owned the home where the shooting took place.
William F. Dearden was charged with second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Following his arraignment in Ulster County's Centralized Arraignment Part Court, he was remanded to the Ulster County Jail without bail. The case, highlighted as an act of domestic violence in Wittl's obituary, drew assistance from multiple agencies, including the New York State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Ulster County District Attorney's Office. As of the initial reports, the investigation was ongoing. There is no publicly available information regarding a trial, conviction, or sentencing for William F. Dearden, indicating the legal proceedings are still pending.
