Strained marriage turns deadly Troopers say man bludgeoned wife, killed himself while their five children were at school
By CAROL DeMARE and LAUREN STANFORTH, Staff writers Click byline for more stories by writer. First published: Thursday, December 13, 2007
DUANESBURG -- Raymond and Debra Lees had been having marital problems for some time. Last month, troopers were called to the house where the couple lived with their five children to investigate a verbal dispute. Neighbors said they were aware of discord in the home off Creek Road; but no one could have foreseen the tragedy that unfolded this week.
After arranging for the kids to be picked up at school and kept away from home, Raymond Lees repeatedly bashed his wife's head with a baseball bat, then killed himself by attaching a hose to the exhaust pipe of his car, State Police said Wednesday.
The incident, which authorities said occurred sometime Tuesday afternoon, has left 49-year-old Debra Lees fighting for her life at Albany Medical Center Hospital, where she was listed in critical condition Wednesday, hospital officials said.
"She's touch and go," Capt. William Sprague of the State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation at Troop G said. The case is being handled as an attempted murder-suicide, he said.
Debra Lees was struck in the head multiple times, State Police Lt. Scott Coburn said. Despite severe head trauma, including cracks to her skull in several places, doctors are hopeful she pulls through, Trooper Maureen Tuffey said.
Raymond Lees, 50, was pronounced dead on Tuesday at 6:10 p.m. at Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown. He was a respiratory therapist at Ellis Hospital in Schenectady. His wife is a nurse at St. Mary's Hospital in Amsterdam, officials said. The family lived at 1164 Creek Road.
Coburn said a neighbor called 911 around 5 p.m. after finding Raymond Lees in a car parked behind the house, Coburn said. State Police from the Princetown barracks arrived to find him unresponsive.
Not long after that Troopers found Debra Lees lying unconscious on the bathroom floor, Coburn said. A bat was recovered at the scene, he said.
The couple was married for several years and their children's ages range from 7 to 15. The family lived in New Jersey before moving to Duanesburg about eight years ago, police said.
Investigators believe Raymond Lees methodically plotted the attack. He called the Duanesburg school district and told officials there not to let the Lees children board the school bus. Instead, he said someone would pick them up and then called two family friends and asked that they pick up the kids but not to take them to the house, Coburn said.
One of the friends did pick up the children, but the other friend -- a neighbor -- became suspicious and at 5 p.m. sent her husband to check the house. He found Lees in the car, which was parked in the back of the house with the motor running, and called 911, Coburn said.
On the door was a big sign "asking the kids not to come in and to call police," Coburn said.
Neighbors who answered their doors Wednesday were reluctant to talk about the family. One, however, contacted by phone Wednesday evening declined to give her name but said, "They fight a lot, those two. I never dreamed he would go that far."
Authorities had been to the home before, Coburn said. On Nov. 14 State Police responded to reports of an argument there.
"It's absolutely tragic," said Duanesburg Central School District Superintendent Christine Crowley. "For the entire district, from the school board and down to faculty and staff, our main concern is looking out for the students and what's best for them. Our focus is on providing counseling and whatever we need to do for the children." The school district set up a fund for the children late Wednesday.
State Police said Raymond Lees' family lives in New Jersey. Family members were on their way to the Capital Region Wednesday. Debra Lees has a brother nearby who is caring for the kids, but officials declined to release his name.
Carol Carlson, a civilian crime victims' specialist who works for the State Police at Troop G is in daily contact with the children, Tuffey said.
Meanwhile, St. Mary's Hospital released a statement saying the staff "is saddened by the news of the recent tragedy involving Debra Lees and her family. Debra has been an RN in our Maternity Services Department and has befriended many in her five-year tenure. Our thoughts and prayers are with Debra and her family at this most difficult time."
Ellis Hospital spokeswoman Donna Evans said the only information she has about "Raymond Herbert Lees" is that he was a part-time respiratory therapist who had worked at the hospital in Schenectady for a year and a half. He had been a licensed respiratory therapist since Dec. 2001, records show.
Troopers spent Wednesday afternoon removing items from the house -- a duplex converted into a single-family house that sits back from the rural road across from a large field with grazing horses.
Children's bikes were stacked up against the house, and white Christmas lights adorned two tall shrub trees on either side of the house.
DeMare can be reached at 454-5431 or by e-mail at cdemare@timesunion.com.
Well, it appears that Mr. Lees too the cowardly, easy way out! He's obviously done with it and just leaves this mess for everyone else to try to come to terms with and 5 kids to try to continue with a normal life. DIRTBAG!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Woman critical; police say hit by husband DUANESBURG — A Duanesburg woman remained in critical condition Thursday from injuries received when her husband struck her in the head with a baseball bat, according to police. He then committed suicide. State police spokeswoman Maureen Tuffey said Debra Lees’ condition has not improved since the Tuesday incident. Lees, 49, was critically injured by her husband, Raymond Lees, in the bathroom of their Creek Road residence. Raymond Lees, 50, was found unresponsive in his running vehicle parked behind his residence and was later pronounced dead. He had run a hose from the exhaust pipe into the vehicle and had placed a bag over his head. Investigators said the couple had a strained marriage for several months.
By CAROL DeMARE, Staff writer Friday, December 14, 2007
DUANESBURG - The mother of five who was beaten with a baseball bat by her husband this week improved to serious condition today at Albany Medical Center Hospital, State Police said.
Debra Lees, 49, had been critical since Raymond Lees, 50, repeatedly bashed her head Tuesday afternoon. He then killed himself by attaching a hose to the exhaust pipe of his car. Marital problems had plagued the couple for some time but neighbors did not foresee the tragedy that unfolded at the home at 1164 Creek Road. The father went to great pains to make sure the couple's five years - ages 7 to 15 - did not come home after school. He called the Duanesburg School District and said his kids would not be getting on the bus, that a friend would pick them up. He also placed a sign on his door telling the kids not to enter and to call 911. The kids did not come home. They are now in the custody of Debra Lees' brother. The Duanesburg Parent Teacher Student Organization is collecting donations for the children. Checks should be made payable to Duanesburg PTSO. In the memo line put "For Lees family." Mail checks to Duanesburg Central School District; c/o PTSO; 133 School Drive; Delanson, NY 12053.
My family and I live in Hillcrest Commons, and I just cannot stand the fact that they want us all out of the park by April 2008. I think they have a lot of gall — especially during the holidays — to pull something like this. I don’t see how they weren’t able to fix this wastewater system; isn’t that why we pay rent? I have a disabled granddaughter who lives with me. We both have asthma, and the smell outside our trailer is awful. It makes us ill enough to have to visit the doctor. Are the owners going to pay for our medical bills? Highly doubtful. There are children in this park that go to Duanesburg Central Schools, and they have to be uprooted? This is ridiculous. There are many families here, and I’m sure they don’t want to have to be out by April. Who wants to go to Saratoga or Ballston Spa? We want our children to stay here; at least I know I do. To the park owners, come on, give us a break. If it were your family, wouldn’t you want the owners to be fair to you? Oh, I’m sorry, you have the money (our money) to live where you want. And the road conditions; well, we sometimes have flooded portions of the park, not all of it, but some, and in the winter they only plow — no salt or sand — the road. Well, my granddaughter has to use a wheelchair. But can she use it outside to play in this weather? No, because they will not sand the road. We have a sheet of ice by our part of the park. The school bus even has a problem — especially going around the circle. God forbid a fire truck or ambulance has to get through! OK, we know our park is sold, unfortunately, but the least they could do is give us time, and a chance, to get land to put our home on. F.P. FUSCO Duanesburg
Woman struck by husband said to be recovering DUANESBURG — The woman police said was attacked by her husband last week is slowly improving, police said Tuesday. Debra Lees was expected to be transferred to Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital either Tuesday or today to continue her recovery, state police said. She had been rushed to Albany Medical Center Dec. 12 after being discovered lying in a pool of blood in her bathroom. She was the victim, police said, of her husband Raymond Lees. Raymond Lees then killed himself, using fumes from his car, police have said. Police said Raymond Lees made plans to ensure the couple’s fi ve children were not home at the time. The children, ages 7 to 17, have been placed with Debra Lees’s brother, police have said. He is their only relative in the area. A trust fund has been set up at the MBT Bank in Duanesburg to benefit Debra Lees and her children, police said.
By JIMMY VIELKIND, Staff writer Saturday, December 22, 2007
ROTTERDAM - Santa Claus waved drivers from Guilderland Avenue toward the Big Scoop, where the owners served ziti instead of ice cream today to benefit an injured mother of five.
Dozens of people streamed into the Ice Cream Parlor attending a benefit for Debra Lees, a 49-year-old mother of five who was gravely injured during a Dec. 12 attack by her husband. The fundraiser was put on by an ad hoc group of Lees' friends, including co-workers from St. Mary's Hospital in Amsterdam where she worked as a nurse and parents of children in the Rotterdam Pop Warner Football League. "Debbie is just an incredible person, and her friends could not let this go by without doing something for her," Sheila Nicoletti, a long-time friend from Duanesburg, said. "Because Debbie would do it for us." Police said after the attack, Lees' husband, Raymond, killed himself. More fundraisers are planned.
ROTTERDAM Friends raise funds for woman who was beaten Pop Warner mothers and fathers come together at ice cream shop BY JESSICA HARDING Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Jessica Harding at 843-2830 or jharding@dailygazette.net.
The Big Scoop Ice Cream shop on Guilderland Avenue is normally closed in December, but its doors were open Saturday because Rotterdam Pop Warner moms and dads were hosting a ziti dinner fundraiser for their friends, the Lees family. The fundraiser, organized by a bunch of Pop Warner families who are close with the Lees, is to help raise money for Debra Lees and her five children, who range in age from 6-16. The fundraising effort mirrors others taking place by other groups in the Lees’ home community of Duanesburg. “When Debbie gets out of the hospital, we don’t want her to worry about any bills,” co-owner of the Big Scoop Ice Cream shop Venziana Stone said. “We want to make sure her children are taken care of.” On Dec. 11, Raymond Lees beat his wife, Debra, in the head with a baseball bat. He was then found dead in his car from carbon monoxide poisoning. Lees’ condition was said to be improving, and authorities anticipated a move from Albany Medical Center Hospital to Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital in Schenectady. Although the situation that prompted the fundraiser is grim, the group was all excitement and activity during the event. Children wearing Big Scoop Ice Cream T-shirts along with a Pop Warner football coach dressed as Santa held signs outside beckoning motorists in for dinner. Adults shouted orders for the children to put together. And friends who came inside to buy a meal were welcomed with friendly greetings and hearty hugs. “We all pull together,” event organizer and family friend Sheila Nicoletti said. Debra Lees’ friends said she is always taking care of other people in her job as a nurse at St. Mary’s Hospital in Amsterdam, as a mother and as a caregiver for her aging mother. The fundraiser was a way to take care of her. “She’s a wonderful woman, and there is nothing we wouldn’t do for her,” event organizer Erin Connell said. Connell visited Lees in the hospital Saturday and said she is overwhelmed by the community’s support. The fundraiser was put together in about a week. The group received donated food from BJs and Price Chopper and was able to purchase the rest inexpensively. All money raised from the $7 dinners was expected to go to the Lees family. The group was hoping to sell about 500 dinners and raise between $2,000 and $3,000 from selling $10 raffle tickets for a new four-wheeler. Connell said the group sold about 210 dinners and raised almost $2,500. They also sold about 30 raffle tickets. Tickets will be sold through March 1 and can be purchased by calling 357-4746 or 495-4221 . The group also set up the Lees Family Fund through NBT Bank branch in Duanesburg. Joanne Vinciguerra , whose son plays football with Lees’ son, kept the group organized by sending emails to everyone. “Anything we can, we’ll help out,” she said.
DUANESBURG 2 suits filed in crash that killed 2 BY STEVEN COOK Gazette Reporter
Two new lawsuits have been filed in the December 2005 Duanesburg accident that killed two local women. The lawsuits were filed last week in state Supreme Court in Schenectady County on behalf of the estates of Patricia F. Bullis and her daughter-in-law, Patricia H. Bullis. They are seeking undisclosed damages from the driver of the other vehicle, Frank T. Sultan Jr., and his employer, JAT Construction. On Dec. 22, 2005, Sultan, of Duanesburg, was driving on Route 7, just west of the Route 20 intersection, when his truck crossed the center line. It glanced off another vehicle before hitting the Bullis family car head-on. The crash devastated the family, killing 39-year-old mother Patricia H. Bullis and 63-year-old grandmother Patricia F. Bullis. Father James Bullis Jr. and 9-year-old daughter Katie Bullis suffered severe injuries. Sultan was issued a ticket charging him with failure to keep right. Cornelius O’Connor, attorney for the estates, could not be reached for comment on the new suits. But attorney John Bailey, who represents Katie Bullis in the only other suit filed, said Wednesday that the new suits were filed ahead of a two-year deadline to preserve their rights. A fourth suit, on behalf of James Bullis Jr., is expected, Bailey said. The deadline for that is pending. In Katie Bullis’ case, her suit originally named only Sultan as a defendant. They have since added the construction company. Sultan owned the truck, Bailey said. In the suit, the Bullises now argue that he was doing work for the construction company when the accident occurred. “It is our position that at time of the accident, the truck was being used for the benefit of his employer,” Bailey said. “Legally, they have some responsibility for what happened in the accident.” Bailey said Katie Bullis’ case could make it to trial as early as the coming year. Attorneys for the company could not be reached Wednesday. James Lombardo, attorney for Sultan, declined to comment Wednesday other than to say that Sultan’s deposition has been taken in the first case. The Bullis family members were on their way to see daughter Alexandra play in an eighthgrade girls’ modified basketball game at Duanesburg Middle School when the accident happened. Police said previously that they believe Sultan blacked out at the wheel, causing his truck to drift. A blood test drawn after the accident showed medication in his system, but the cause of the blackout remained unknown. Bailey declined on Wednesday to detail the progress of either Katie, 9 at the time, or her father, other than to say they are still recovering and Katie has returned to school.
Official: Town being ‘nickeled and dimed’ Library hours cut, street lights dimmed BY JUSTIN MASON Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Justin Mason at 395-3113 or jmason@dailygazette.net.
Trimming seven operating hours a week at the local library and darkening four street lights might not sound like much, but the difference has been noticed by residents. And town officials made certain their displeasure was known to county Legislator Judith Dagostino Thursday evening. Members of the Town Board chastised the District 4 representative — newly installed as vice chairwoman of the Legislature — for not fighting to maintain county services in the town. “It seems like Duanesburg’s being nickeled and dimed,” remarked Supervisor Rene Merrihew during the board meeting Thursday. The Quaker Street Library was among four in the county to receive an hours cut as the county tightens its finances. The library in Scotia cut 10 hours per week, while branches in Schenectady’s Hamilton Hill and Woodlawn neighborhoods cut four and six hours, respectively, to account for a $90,000 reduction in funding from the county. “It was a percentage cut,” said Dagostino, who attended the meeting. “Other people have suffered as well.” But Merrihew said the cut in hours has caused a number of complaints to the town this week. She argued the cuts to Quaker Street had a greater effect on Duanesburg due to travel time. “For us, you have to drive 20 miles [to get to another branch],” she said. Town officials also questioned Dagostino about four county street lights being shut off in the town. Board member Rick Potter said darkening the street lamps could cause safety issues. “Out here, we can’t afford to have the lights off,” he said. No details about location were available. Board member Philip Carlson wasn’t surprised by the cuts. He said county services in the town often seem the first trimmed when the county makes cuts. “I realize we don’t mean much out here,” he told Dagostino. “We never have.” PARK REPAIRS In other business, board members awarded a bid to rebuild the Van Patten Mill Park pavilion to Giangrande Construction of Castleton. The company will be paid $25,900 for the project and is contracted to have construction done before June. Bids came in between $24,000 and $87,000 to rebuild the structure, which was torched by vandals last summer. The fire consumed the pavilion and a small storage structure, which housed a water pump and supplies used for the town’s youth recreation program. The new pavilion will be of an almost identical design to the previous one, but will have a slightly larger concrete base. Potter said the company’s proposal was a perfect match for the town’s needs. “It’s the best price, but it’s also offering us everything were asking for,” he said.
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for Mrs. Lees and the children
