It’s been one year since Kaylin Gillis was killed when she and a group of friends pulled into the wrong driveway on April 15, 2023. Monday night at 6:30 p.m. friends and family gathered at Fort Handy Park in Gansevoort to commemorate her.
WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT
That Saturday night, Gillis, her boyfriend and a group of friends were headed to a party. The group, traveling in two cars with one member of the group on a motorcycle, was unfamiliar with the sparse area and mistakenly pulled down the wrong driveway. Gillis was in the passenger seat of one of the cars when the homeowner, Kevin Monahan, fired two shots. Gillis was struck once and died from her injuries soon after.
Neighbors, as well as Gillis' companions, tried to call 911. Gillis’ friends had to drive about five miles away in order to obtain cell service and get through to emergency dispatchers. The remote area was difficult to navigate and first responders also entered the wrong driveway at first.
THE TRIAL
Monahan was arrested the night of the shooting. The following Wednesday he was denied bail.
In early May 2023, Monahan’s defense attorney, Kurt Mausert, unsuccessfully attempted to appeal the bail denial, saying it was a violation of procedure law and abuse of discretion. Monahan was held in Warren County jail because Gillis’ father is a Washington County corrections officer.
Later that month, Monahan was indicted on murder charges, as well as reckless endangerment and tampering with evidence. According to the indictment, Monahan had a “depraved indifference to human life” when he “recklessly engaged in conduct which created a grave risk of death to another person” causing their death.
The trial, originally scheduled for October 2023, was delayed until January to accommodate the defnese’s request for more time to analyze evidence.
- On Jan. 8, jury selection began.
- Jan. 11, opening statements were made.
- Jan. 20, Monhan took the stand.
Monahan said he thought he was “under siege” and that his reaction was out of fear. He expressed remorse and said he did not do it on purpose. He claimed that the second shot, which was the one that killed Gillis, was an accident.
THE VERDICT
On Jan. 23, the jury deliberated for less than an hour before coming back with a guilty verdict. On March 1, Monahan received the maximum sentence of 25 years to life.
ADDITIONAL SUITS
Both Gillis’ father and boyfriend filed lawsuits against the Monahans in relation to Kaylin's death.
Her father, Andrew Gillis, filed a wrongful death suit in Saratoga County Court. The lawsuit notes he and his wife Angelique Gillis have experienced economic loss, including funeral and administration expenses as a result of their daughter’s death. The lawsuit is seeking punitive and exemplary damages as well as attorney fees and other relief the court deems appropriate.
Kaylin's boyfriend, Blake Walsh, is seeking punitive damages in an amount exceeding the jurisdictional limits of the lower courts and inferior courts, according to the lawsuit. The civil suit was filed in state Supreme Court in Washington County in March.
The lawsuit states that Walsh has been rendered emotionally distressed and suffered psychological harm because of the actions of Kevin and Jinx Monahan, which Walsh continues to suffer from to this day.
Additionally, the company overseeing the Monahans’ homeowner’s insurance — Preferred Mutual Insurance Company in Chittenango County — filed a complaint in its local county court, which, if approved, would relieve the company of defense and indemnity of the Monahans’ home in the lawsuit against the couple.
COMMUNITY RESPONSE
Since Gillis’ death, which garnered national attention, there has been an outpouring of support from community members.
A vigil was held the week after her death. Ahead of the gathering, a GoFundMe was created to raise money for the family. It raised more than $140,000 by the time of the vigil.
