Husband of victim pleads not guilty. Police believe they have weapon
HUDSON—A Columbia County grand jury indicted David T. Agan, Jr., 42, of Valatie, Monday, December 14 for second degree murder, a class A-1 felony in connection with the December 10 stabbing death of his estranged wife, Christina M. Agan, 37, of Kinderhook.
Mr. Agan is represented by Ian Crimmins of the Columbia County Public Defender’s Office, who entered a plea of not guilty to the charge on his client’s behalf in Columbia County Court Monday before County Judge Richard Koweek.
Mr. Crimmins requested that the judge order a psychiatric exam to determine if his client is mentally competent to stand trial.
Columbia County District Attorney Paul Czajka told The Columbia Paper Tuesday that he did not see a reason for the exam and that Judge Koweek did not immediately decide the matter.
Mr. Agan was sent to the Columbia County Jail without bail pending another court appearance Thursday, December 17.
Mr. Agan and his estranged wife were married for 15 years at the time of her death and had been living in separate residences since April.
Ms. Agan went to the Valatie Medical Arts Building at 1301 River Street, December 10 for a doctor’s appointment. She was a regular patient there, according to police. In the building’s entry vestibule, she and Mr. Agan got into an argument which ended with him allegedly stabbing Ms. Agan multiple times in the neck with a screwdriver.
Police recovered what they believe is the murder weapon, according to DA Czajka.
State Police Lieutenant Nicholas Banbury, who spoke at a December 11 press briefing said police have witnesses who saw the attack. Police responded to a report about the assault at the medical arts building at 1:50 p.m. December 10 and found Ms. Agan dead in the vestibule.
The investigation led to a lockdown of all schools on the nearby Ichabod Crane School District campus shortly before the end of the school day.
At the time, police cordoned off the building where the murder occurred and a helicopter hovered above the building and the surrounding area.
Ichabod Crane schools Superintendent George Zini issued a statement late Thursday afternoon, December 10, saying that the district had been contacted by the school resource officer and advised to go into lockdown “due to an incident that happened in our community.” He said that students were held in their buildings until the district was notified at about 3:30 p.m. that it was safe to release them.
Mr. Agan fled following the attack and was apprehended about an hour later on Route 4 in East Greenbush Rensselaer County, while driving his personal vehicle.
State Police said they took Mr. Agan to Albany Medical Center after they arrested him because they believed he may have ingested “an unknown type and quantity of a prescription medication prior to… being stopped.” Lt. Banbury said a medication bottle was found in his vehicle.
The lieutenant also said that Mr. Agan had “actively resisted” being taken into custody, which was the reason the left side of Mr. Agan’s face appeared bruised and scraped in the mug shot supplied by police.
After being treated at the hospital he was released and taken for arraignment in Livingston Court December 11 at 2:30 a.m.
In a video recording of the arraignment, Town Justice Robert Q. Moore asks Mr. Crimmins if there are medical issues the court should be aware of and what condition Mr. Agan is on medication for. Mr. Crimmins does not give specifics, but says his client has “mental health issues.”
Ms. Agan was granted temporary custody of the couple’s four boys, a 14-year-old and 8-year-old triplets, in April.
Mr. Agan has a 18-year-old daughter by a previous relationship.
Lt. Banbury said that at the time of the stabbing there was a court order against Mr. Agan protecting the four children he had with Ms. Agan. There was no order of protection for Ms. Agan, though there were incidents of domestic violence involving the family, with at least some of them happening “earlier this year,” the lieutenant said.
The children are now with family members.
Mr. Agan’s Facebook page contains recent posts about ongoing disputes between him and Ms. Agan, including the money he had to pay her.
He also proclaims his love for her and his children and his desire to get “our lives together” back.
In the early morning hours on the day of the murder he posted, “We have a chance for a great future together. I am yours. I will always be yours.”
On Thanksgiving he lamented not being able to be home with his boys and in a December 8 post says Ms. Agan had recently come into $29,000 and he was hurt because she had kept it secret from him. Asked about the matter, DA Czajka said he was aware of it but was “not prepared to discuss it.”
The murder of Christina Agan is the third murder in Columbia County in the last two months and the second murder in Columbia County in the last two weeks. None of the murders are connected.
The cousin of a Hudson man was charged with second degree murder in his stabbing death, October 11. Carl “Pepe” Williams allegedly stabbed his cousin, Cory “Skrilla” Velazquez in the neck at Mr. Velazquez’s apartment on Frederick Street in Hudson.
The District Attorney’s Office and State Police are also investigating the death of a baby boy found asphyxiated in a dumpster behind a Livingston convenience store November 27. The child’s mother, Tara Tomlin, 20, of Livingston has been charged in that homicide.
To contact Diane Valden email dvalden@columbiapaper.com
