New York man pleads guilty to murdering and dismembering ex-girlfriend, keeping severed head in suitcase Damon Foy pleaded guilty to second-degree murder after killing and dismembering Alberta Dale, whose remains were found in a suitcase with a flower at his apartment in April 2024. Under a plea agreement, he is expected to receive 23 years to life behind bars. A New York man pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for killing and dismembering his ex-girlfriend and putting her severed head in a suitcase with a flower after she ended their relationship. Damon Foy later told investigators she had played me like a sucker, according to authorities. The Ulster County Sheriff's Office began investigating on April 1, 2024 after Dale's family members in Pennsylvania contacted law enforcement because they were concerned about her well-being. The district attorney's office said deputies first conducted a welfare check before launching a search. Deputies initially went to Foy's apartment on April 1, 2024 and found Dale's car, according to the New York Post.Suspect Confessed To Killing Ex GirlfriendThe next day, deputies returned to question Foy after a member of the public found Dale's phone on the side of the road and turned it in to authorities, leading investigators to suspect potential foul play. When investigators arrived at his home during the missing person investigation, Foy whispered, She's in there, and added, I killed her, according to court documents cited by the New York Post.Between March 31 and April 1, 2024, Foy killed and dismembered Dale and was in the process of disposing of her body when law enforcement intervened, according to the district attorney's office. Officers found a suitcase at the property. After shining a flashlight on it, investigators immediately noticed what appeared to be dried blood, according to the documents. Officers opened the defendant's suitcase and found Alberta Dale's partial dismembered remains, including her severed head, the court documents read.The remaining portions of her dismembered body were not located during the execution of the search warrant, the documents added. When he was later interviewed, Foy told investigators he loved her, according to the documents. The only thing she kept doing after the time throughout the whole relationship was just play me, play me like a fool, play me like a sucker, and just took advantage of the whole system, he said. That's it.Foy Claimed He Was Forced From HomeI was told to leave my own home. I was told to leave my own home, not a bill in her name, and I was told to leave my own home. Get out.Then it all started coming clearer to me, he added. When asked about the flower in the suitcase, Foy only said he was thinking about what still happened last night to take things over the top. Foy had a history of domestic violence against Dale, according to court documents cited by the New York Post. A previous domestic incident involved a gun, and investigators had also observed an axe at Foy's property when they were searching for Dale.Dale had previously warned authorities that if she went missing it was because Foy killed her, according to the court documents. Under a plea agreement, Foy is expected to receive 23 years to life behind bars, with a minimum term two years shorter than the maximum of 25 years to life, according to the Daily Freeman. Chief Assistant District Attorney Liz Culmone-Mills told the outlet that the agreement was backed by Dale's family.District Attorney Condemned Selfish Disregard For LifeThe District Attorney's Office would not be making this recommendation were it not for Alberta Dale's family, Culmone-Mills told the outlet. The total selfish disregard for the life and dignity of another person is at the heart of domestic violence; Damon Foy has shown that to us, District Attorney Emmanuel C. Nneji said in a statement.We must recognize in our laws the rights of victims of domestic violence to be physically, psychologically, and emotionally safe from their tormentors and the dangers specifically targeted for them, and demand procedures that actually protect victims for real, not just on paper, Nneji added.