It’s been nearly three months since the second trial for the murder of Megan McDonald began in an Orange County courtroom. The 20-year-old was found dead on a dirt path in Wallkill, New York, on March 15, 2003. The cause of death was blunt force trauma.
Last year, Megan’s ex-boyfriend, a man named Edward Holley, went on trial, charged with second-degree murder. Prosecutors alleged that on the evening Megan was murdered, she was looking for Holley to obtain marijuana from him. They also alleged that Holley lied to investigators about his whereabouts on the night of the murder and that the injuries Megan sustained showed anger and rage, suggesting a personal connection. But the defense pointed to an alternate suspect: another of Megan’s ex-boyfriends. In 2022, detectives told Dateline that the man referred to by the defense had been considered a person of interest early in the investigation, but was eliminated as a suspect.
The judge declared a mistrial in Holley’s case after the jury failed to reach a unanimous decision.
In January 2026, Holley was back in court, facing the same second-degree murder charge. The case played out in a similar way to the first one — with special prosecutors presenting a slew of witnesses, and the defense resting with no witnesses called.
By the end of February, the case was once again in the hands of a jury. This jury also struggled to reach a unanimous verdict and indicated it was deadlocked, but was sent back by the judge to continue deliberating. On March 18, day 14 of deliberations, jurors returned a verdict of not guilty.
Shortly after his release, Holley told Mid-Hudson News that, “It is only right for me to be a free man. I didn’t do anything. I should have never been in jail.”
Mid-Hudson News also reported that special prosecutors Julia Cornachio and Laura Murphy declined to comment outside the courthouse, but in a prepared statement said, “We are disappointed by the verdict reached by the jury, but we accept it and thank the jury members for their service.”
Two jurors spoke with the Times-Union. One described the deliberations as contentious. Both agreed that, in the end, the decision to acquit came down to a lack of evidence.
Later that evening, Megan’s family posted a statement on the “Justice for Megan McDonald” Facebook page. “There is a significant difference between being found ‘not guilty’ and being ‘innocent,’” they wrote. “Our family clearly understands this distinction.”
They closed by thanking the New York State Police and the special prosecutors for “their tireless and ethical work. And most importantly for providing us with the clarity and closure that allow us to finally find some peace.”
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include a statement from the McDonald family.
