Accused murderer admits he’s a drug dealer, but not the man who killed Billy Lee
NORWICH – The man accused of murdering Billy Lee appeared in Chenango County Court Monday to plead guilty to selling prescription drugs on more occasions than he could remember, admitting that at least one of the instances was to an undercover police officer.
Richard T. Babcock, 25, was indicted in July for the second degree murder of 61-year-old Norwich native, William E. Lee last November.
Babcock appeared before Supreme Court Justice Kevin M. Dowd Monday and pleaded guilty to selling drugs to undercover New York State Police investigators while still maintaining his innocence in the pending murder case.
Babcock could not recall the specific date of the March 21, 2008 incident in which prosecutors claim he sold prescription drugs to covert narcotic officers.
District Attorney Joseph A. McBride attempted to detail the specifics of the date in question, but to no avail. He described Babcock meeting the officer and another man in the stairwell of a Norwich apartment house where he sold the two men pills of lorazepam, a prescription anxiety drug.
“I can’t recall. There has been many similar situations like that,” Babcock told the judge. “I do recall instances I have sold that prescription, though I don’t know any dates.”
Chenango County Sheriff’s Lt. James E. Lloyd said Babcock was involved in a local narcotics probe and had crossed paths with police investigators in the months before Lee’s murder.
Babcock was arrested Nov. 14, the day after Lee’s body was discovered by troopers, but he was not immediately charged in connection to the homicide. He was instead held on charges of fifth degree criminal sale of a controlled substance in relation to the drug investigation he pleaded guilty to yesterday.
Police used the pending drug case to hold Babcock in the Chenango County Correctional Facility for more than seven months while they investigated the murder. Babcock was a suspect in the Lee case during that time and prosecutors revealed a sealed grand jury murder indictment July 24, officially accusing him of the crime.
Yesterday, Dowd sentenced Babcock to a year in local jail after he pleaded guilty to third degree criminal sale of a controlled substance.
Babcock’s public defender, Attorney Alan Gordon pointed out that his client had already been incarcerated for over a year and had completed the sentence with time already served.
When offered comment by the judge, McBride remarked, “This gentleman is involved in the local drug trade in the area and has pending murder charges, so at this time the people have nothing to add.”
Gordon also limited his remarks and did not have any final words for the court before the judge passed sentence in the matter. Gordon said he did not want to visit the circumstances of the pending murder case and did not request to have his client’s bail altered. Currently, Babcock is being held without bail on the murder charge.
Babcock is accused of approaching Lee while he was on his couch and shooting him in the head with a 16-gauge shotgun at point blank range on Nov. 9.
He is charged with two counts of second degree murder. Under New York State Law, Babcock can be charged with multiple counts in the same death, because it is alleged he intentionally meant to cause Lee’s death and a second because he did so while in the course of an armed robbery.
He also faces charges of first degree robbery and two counts of first degree assault, one count for causing serious physical injury in commission of a felony and a second for using a firearm to do so.
Lee’s oldest sister, Linda Smith, said Babcock was a friend of Lee’s who had been staying with him at 5220 State Route 23 in the Town of Norwich, in the weeks leading up to the murder. Police said Lee had resided at the location for approximately the last seven years.
McBride said Babcock was “hiding out at Mr. Lee’s” at the time of the murder and was avoiding an active warrant out for his arrest. The Norwich Police Department requested a warrant for Babcock’s arrest on Oct. 28, asking that he be returned to Norwich City Court to face charges of fourth degree criminal possession of stolen property, a felony, and petit larceny, only 11 days before he allegedly shot Lee.
If convicted of the top murder charge against him, Babcock could face a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison.
Richard T. Babcock, 25, was indicted in July for the second degree murder of 61-year-old Norwich native, William E. Lee last November.
Babcock appeared before Supreme Court Justice Kevin M. Dowd Monday and pleaded guilty to selling drugs to undercover New York State Police investigators while still maintaining his innocence in the pending murder case.
Babcock could not recall the specific date of the March 21, 2008 incident in which prosecutors claim he sold prescription drugs to covert narcotic officers.
District Attorney Joseph A. McBride attempted to detail the specifics of the date in question, but to no avail. He described Babcock meeting the officer and another man in the stairwell of a Norwich apartment house where he sold the two men pills of lorazepam, a prescription anxiety drug.
“I can’t recall. There has been many similar situations like that,” Babcock told the judge. “I do recall instances I have sold that prescription, though I don’t know any dates.”
Chenango County Sheriff’s Lt. James E. Lloyd said Babcock was involved in a local narcotics probe and had crossed paths with police investigators in the months before Lee’s murder.
Babcock was arrested Nov. 14, the day after Lee’s body was discovered by troopers, but he was not immediately charged in connection to the homicide. He was instead held on charges of fifth degree criminal sale of a controlled substance in relation to the drug investigation he pleaded guilty to yesterday.
Police used the pending drug case to hold Babcock in the Chenango County Correctional Facility for more than seven months while they investigated the murder. Babcock was a suspect in the Lee case during that time and prosecutors revealed a sealed grand jury murder indictment July 24, officially accusing him of the crime.
Yesterday, Dowd sentenced Babcock to a year in local jail after he pleaded guilty to third degree criminal sale of a controlled substance.
Babcock’s public defender, Attorney Alan Gordon pointed out that his client had already been incarcerated for over a year and had completed the sentence with time already served.
When offered comment by the judge, McBride remarked, “This gentleman is involved in the local drug trade in the area and has pending murder charges, so at this time the people have nothing to add.”
Gordon also limited his remarks and did not have any final words for the court before the judge passed sentence in the matter. Gordon said he did not want to visit the circumstances of the pending murder case and did not request to have his client’s bail altered. Currently, Babcock is being held without bail on the murder charge.
Babcock is accused of approaching Lee while he was on his couch and shooting him in the head with a 16-gauge shotgun at point blank range on Nov. 9.
He is charged with two counts of second degree murder. Under New York State Law, Babcock can be charged with multiple counts in the same death, because it is alleged he intentionally meant to cause Lee’s death and a second because he did so while in the course of an armed robbery.
He also faces charges of first degree robbery and two counts of first degree assault, one count for causing serious physical injury in commission of a felony and a second for using a firearm to do so.
Lee’s oldest sister, Linda Smith, said Babcock was a friend of Lee’s who had been staying with him at 5220 State Route 23 in the Town of Norwich, in the weeks leading up to the murder. Police said Lee had resided at the location for approximately the last seven years.
McBride said Babcock was “hiding out at Mr. Lee’s” at the time of the murder and was avoiding an active warrant out for his arrest. The Norwich Police Department requested a warrant for Babcock’s arrest on Oct. 28, asking that he be returned to Norwich City Court to face charges of fourth degree criminal possession of stolen property, a felony, and petit larceny, only 11 days before he allegedly shot Lee.
If convicted of the top murder charge against him, Babcock could face a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison.
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