Held without bail on murder charge
A Dutchess County grand jury on Tuesday (Aug. 5) indicted Edison Irizarry, a retired Beacon police officer, on a murder charge. He is being held at the county jail in Poughkeepsie without bail.
Irizarry, 52, was arrested July 21 after Beacon police responded at 9:02 p.m. to a 911 call placed by Irizarry, who said he had shot his roommate. Police found Casey Cuddy, 58, of Beacon, dead inside an apartment at 86 Rombout Ave. After determining that the caller was a retired officer, Beacon police turned the investigation over to the New York State Police.
Along with second-degree murder, Irizarry was charged with criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a firearm, both felonies, although Tuesday’s indictment was only on the murder charge. Irizarry, who pleaded not guilty, is being represented by a public defender.
The district attorney’s office said Tuesday that Irizarry is accused of shooting Cuddy multiple times with a 9-millimeter semi-automatic Glock pistol. Irizarry pleaded not guilty in Beacon City Court on July 22.
“The allegations are both troubling and disappointing,” District Attorney Anthony Parisi said in a statement, noting that Irizarry served 17 years with the Beacon police before retiring in 2021. “While the defendant is presumed innocent under the law, we will pursue this case with the utmost diligence, fairness and integrity. Our responsibility is to the truth, to due process and to securing justice for the victim and the community.”
Cuddy was a psychiatric mental health nurse and actor who performed for the County Players in Wappingers Falls. According to a program biography, the Finger Lakes native moved to the Hudson Valley in September 2022 after living in Los Angeles and Oregon.
Irizarry’s next court date is scheduled for Sept. 24 in Poughkeepsie.
