Episode
The Thanksgiving Betrayal - The Puppeteer of Schenectady
- Podcast
- Murder Files Unsealed
- Published
- Jun 26, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2409
- Processing state
not_requested
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Summary
This true crime narrative details the 1995 murder of Paul Lacy, a devoted father found strangled in his car shortly after Thanksgiving in Schenectady, New York. Although his wife, Stella Lacy, initially reported him missing, investigators uncovered a web of betrayal involving her affair with Paul’s cousin, Ron Faulkner. Police eventually extracted confessions from Faulkner and a neighbor, Calvin Smith, revealing that Stella orchestrated the killing to claim insurance money. While the two men received life sentences for their direct roles in the physical attack, Stella was convicted of lesser charges, including criminally negligent homicide. This overview highlights how manipulation and greed led to a staged crime scene that ultimately failed to deceive detectives. Underneath the tragedy lies a story of a family’s pursuit of justice for a man described as nurturing and selfless. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/murder-files-unsealed--6017387/support . This episode includes AI-generated content.