State Troopers arresting Molly Martel on Thursday night. Photo provided by the NY State Police.
A 27-year-old New Hampshire woman who is suspected of stabbing a woman to death on Tuesday in Manchester, New Hampshire was arrested at the Colonial Motel in Kerhonkson on Thursday by State Police out of Ellenville.
Molly MartelMolly Martel, a slight blonde woman, went into custody without incident, according to a press release from the State Police:
On November 4, 2010, New York State Police at Ellenville were notified by the Manchester Police Department, Manchester, NH, that a murder had occurred in their jurisdiction on November 3, 2010. They advised that their investigation lead them to believe that Molly Martel had fled from the State of New Hampshire after causing the death of a 27 year old female, in the City of Manchester, and was possibly en route to the Ellenville NY area.Troopers and Investigators conducted a search of the Ellenville area and at approximately 10:30pm, located Molly Martel at the Colonial Motel, State Route 209, Kerhonkson, NY. Martel was taken into custody, without incident, processed and committed to the Ulster County Jail. Martel is currently awaiting extradition back to the state of New Hampshire.
Other news outlets fill in the details of Martel's alleged crime. A long story in the New Hampshire Union Leader describes how Martel allegedly fought with, and then stabbed, her boyfriend's ex, 27-year-old Stephanie Campbell:
Martel is the girlfriend of Anthony Santos, 31, the father of Campbell's two boys and with whom Campbell had an off-again, on-again relationship that at times turned violent, according to court records. Santos was charged with assaulting Campbell and his 10-year-old son in September and had bail conditions barring him from going near them.. ... Neighbors and friends said Martel showed up at the Dutton Street apartment Tuesday night, wanting to take one of Santos' and Campbell's two sons. The two women argued and Martel allegedly stabbed Campbell, killing her.
The Union Leader also interviewed the owner of the Colonial Hotel, whose description of Martel makes her sound like anything but a murderer:
"She was a very shy little lady," said Ashraf Rizvi, the owner of the motel. Rizvi said the guest looked so young that he asked her age Thursday when she asked for a room. She smiled and said she was 26. The woman gave the name of Mary Marquis but said he didn't have an identification. She paid cash for three nights. "Usually I don't rent (to people without identification). But I don't know, usually nice people don't give you a problem," he said. "She was nice; I gave her a break."
The Times Herald-Record and the Daily Freeman, which are also following the story, are reporting that New York State Troopers tracked Martel down by spotting her car in the motel's parking lot.
