Hudson Valley Native Murdered at Chili’s
A Hudson Valley man was fatally shot to death at Chili's.
On Saturday, 29-year-old Kris Hicks and Stephen Gudknecht, 37, were fatally shot as they finished working at the Chili's Grill and Bar in DeWitt around 1 a.m.
Gudknecht was the restaurant's manager, Hicks the cook. Hicks was born in Newburgh, lived in Warwick and graduated from Warwick Valley High School in 2007.
"He cooked all the time, and he always had this spice and that spice he'd tell me about that he was using," his father, Kevin Hicks, told Syracuse.com. "We will miss him so much.'
Hicks held a number of positions at a number of different Chili's Grill and Bar across New York State, according to his obituary.
"Kris was a determined self-made man who loved his family, friends and animals, especially cats," his family said in a statement on his obituary.
William Wood Jr., a former Chili's employee, is accused of murdering both men. After killing his former co-workers, the 32-year-old from Syracuse stole $875 from the restaurant, police say.
Visitation will be held on Saturday from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at T.S. Purta Funeral Home on Glenmere Avenue in Florida. A funeral service will follow.
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