Teen Girl Murdered by Brother in Dutchess County, Say Police

A Hudson Valley man has been charged with the unthinkable crime of smothering his younger sister to death.

On Tuesday, Mark Dedaj of Millbrook was charged with Murder in the Second Degree. The felony charge was announced by Dutchess County District Attorney Anthony Parisi three years after Maureen Nelson-Lanzi was found dead at a home on Harts Village Road in the Village of Millbrook.

This isn't the first time Dedaj has been arrested. Five years before the alleged murder of his sister, Dedaj was accused of forcing sexual contact on an 18-year-old woman. The Millbrook man, who was 24 years old at the time, was allegedly at a party in Gardiner where underage teens were drinking. Police say that's where Dedaj sexually abused an 18-year-old woman.

Now Dedaj faces murder charges for the death of his 17-year-old sister. Authorities contend that the then-30-year-old man smothered the teen to death at their shared home in Millbrook on September 4, 2021.

District Attorney Anthony Parisi did not say why it took three years to bring charges against Dedaj for Maureen's death, but called the case "heartbreaking".

As we move forward with prosecuting this crime, our focus is on seeking justice for the victim and supporting her surviving loved ones. The gravity of this situation is immense, and we are committed to ensuring that the defendant is held accountable for this profound loss

Dedaj will be held without bail until October 22 when he's scheduled to return to court to face murder charges.