To say Cattaraugus County lawmakers are upset by the escape of Edward Kindt from a halfway house in Dutchess County and Kindt’s return to Cattaraugus County is an understatement.

One day after Kindt was captured by Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Deputies in Salamanca, county lawmakers passed three resolutions during their monthly voting meeting: one demanding condemning the state Corrections Department and Community Supervision for its failure to supervise Kindt and demanding the state Parole Board send Kindt back to prison; one demanding the state Parole Board revoke Kindt’s release from prison; and one demanding the resignation of Caryne Demosthenes and Carlton S. Mitchell, the state Parole Board members who voted in favor of Kindt’s release from prison in 2023.

Kindt was convicted of murdering Penny Brown. On Mother’s Day 1999, while she was out jogging with her two dogs on a nature trail near her home, she was ambushed and sexually assaulted by Kindt, who ultimately strangled her with her dog’s leash.

Both state Sen. George Borrello and Assemblyman Joseph Giglio blasted Gov. Kathy Hochul’s pro-criminal Board of Parole upon learning Kindt escaped custody of his supervised transitional housing in Dutchess County and returned to Salamanca. This is the second time he has violated his parole since being released by the Parole Board. In returning to Salamanca, he also violated the order of the Seneca Nation banning him from their nation for at least one year.

Borrello condemned the Division of Parole for not notifying the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office of his escape until six days after he had absconded, a situation which put the community unknowingly at risk. He was taken into custody at 1:50 a.m. July 23..

“Thanks to the swift response by the Cattaraugus County Sheriff Department deputies and personnel, Kindt was promptly located and apprehended and has been turned over to state authorities,” said Andrew Burr, chairman of the Cattaraugus County Legislature. “It is appalling and outrageous that this murderer was not appropriately supervised for six days outside of his parole geographical jurisdiction. This is another outrageous example of the irresponsible, reprehensible, delusional democrat justice system. The criminal justice laws that coddle these criminals are a clear and present danger to every New York state resident. The immoral derelict parole board that allowed his release should resign immediately and be accountable to the public for their heinous decision.”

Undersheriff Eric Butler said it took deputies only three hours to find Kindt once they were notified that he had left Dutchess County while criticizing the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision didn’t notify local law enforcement that Kindt had left his transitional housing. One reason they feared for the public’s safety is Kindt’s behavior during his imprisonment and 2023 release from prison. County lawmakers said in one resolution that Kindt had committed several “deplorable” acts and received multiple disciplinary infractions in prison, including making weapons, stalking, lewdness that included exposing himself to a woman, and repeatedly making and using drugs and alcohol.

County lawmakers’ resolutions also criticized the state for not turning over documentation the county has requested in a Freedom of Information Law request pertaining to Kindt’s release. Legislators wanted to see Kindt’s Parole Board decisions for the past five years and the names of Parole Board members authorizing the Parole Board decision to release Kindt. That information hasn’t been released to county officials, but the resolution calling on Parole Board members to resign notes that private citizens have been able to get the information the county had requested.

Giglio and Borrello sent a letter last week to Gov. Kathy Hochul calling for a full investigation into Kindt’s escape. Burr echoed that call in his statement during last week’s legislature meeting.

“I call on Gov. Kathy Hochul to investigate the failure by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision to properly supervise Edward Kindt and further call on her to remove Caryne Demosthenes and Carlton S. Mitchell, the Parole Board members responsible for his indefensible release and the continued erosion of the safety and security of Cattaraugus County residents.”