In a shocking revelation, we've learned a Hudson Valley murder victim saved the life of his killer the night before his murder.

On Tuesday, a Montgomery, New York man was sentenced to prison for murder and arson following the death of a 46-year-old man who was trapped in the house and died of smoke inhalation.

Maximum Sentence in Orange County, New York Arson-Murder Case

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Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler confirmed that 32-year-old Ryan Veloce of Montgomery was sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison, the maximum sentence he faced after he was convicted following a jury trial in the Orange County Court of crimes including murder in the second degree and arson in the first degree.

“The heinous and cowardly actions of this defendant, which cost a man his life, were rightfully met with the maximum sentence allowed by law,” Hoovler stated. “The defendant set the deadly fire in this case under cover of night, without eyewitnesses present. But for the dedicated and skilled investigation by the law enforcement agencies, coupled with the hard and steadfast work of the prosecutors who handled the case, this defendant would not have been held responsible for his crimes. However, this case stands as a paradigm of the value of teamwork amongst talented law enforcement professionals to make sure that justice was done. And I am glad to say that here, justice was done.”

Fatal Fire In Town of Montgomery, New York

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The 25-years to life in prison sentence is in connection with a fire that destroyed a single-family house located on Barron Road in the Town of Montgomery on the morning of June 10, 2021.

Kevin Horan, 45, of Montgomery, who lived in the home, was rescued by firefighters after he was trapped in the burning house.

He died later that morning at St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital as the result of smoke inhalation.

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“I am happy to see this case come to a conclusion that will give a small bit of closure to the Horan family. I would like to commend the hard work of the investigators from the Town of Montgomery Police, the New York State Police, the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control, the Orange County DA's Office and the Orange County Sheriff's Office. The cooperation between all of these agencies led to a successful prosecution of this very difficult case," Town of Montgomery Police Chief John Hank said.

Murder Victim Saved Killer Night Before Murder

During the court appearance, the unnamed judge confirmed Horan saved Veloce's life the night before. Horan gave Veloce Narcan when Veloce overdosed, officials say.

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"During the court appearance, the sentencing Judge said to Veloce that one of the greatest ironies of the case was that the victim had saved Veloce’s life the night before, by administering Narcan to reverse the effects of a drug overdose. The Judge further noted that had it not been for the heroic actions of the victim alerting other occupants in house to the fire, more people would have died," Hoovler's office stated in a press release.

Alleged Stolen Cocaine Cause of Fatal Fire

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Veloce, who had been an overnight guest in the home, intentionally set the fire using kerosene because he believed Horan, who was sleeping at the time of the fire, stole Veloce’s cocaine the night before the fire, prosecutors argued during the trial.

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Veloce initially denied staying in the house. He was found walking near the burning home.

"A trained arson detection canine team from the Orange County Sherriff’s Office aided arson investigators in determining the point of origin of the fire. Subsequent laboratory testing conducted at the New York State Police Laboratory in Albany confirmed that a liquid accelerant, likely kerosene, was used to start the fire, and that the fire had been started in the bedroom the defendant (Veloce) had occupied," Hoovler's office added in a press release.

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