DA: Hudson Valley Man Left Murder Victim’s Corpse in Planter

A Hudson Valley man is accused of killing a house guest and hiding the dead man’s corpse in a planter for months.

On Monday, 43-year-old Christopher Smith of the Town of Newburgh was arraigned in Orange County Court on an indictment charging him with murder, manslaughter, criminal possession of a weapon, concealment of a human corpse, tampering with physical evidence and making a punishable false written statement, in connection with the fatal stabbing of man who was staying at Smith’s apartment.

The indictment alleges that sometime between April 17 and April 21 Smith killed his houseguest, 50-year-old William K. McMahon of the Town of Newburgh, with a knife at the apartment he rented in the Town of Newburgh.

Smith hid the dead body by burying it in a planter inside his home, officials say.

McMahon was last seen in April of 2017. He was reported missing to State Police in June.

Recently, authorities executed a search warrant at a home on Quaker Street in Town of Newburgh where the remains of McMahon were found.

After the remains were found, on Oct. 27, Smith was charged with murder.

Smith is also accused of making a false statement to police when they investigated McMahon's disappearance

Smith was remanded to Orange County Jail on $500,000 bail or $1,500,000 bond.

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