Schenectady man pleads guilty in 2021 city murder; Killed woman, then called 911, DA says

Malcolm Gadsden - Source: Schenectady County District Attorney's Office

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SCHENECTADY – A city man pleaded guilty Monday to the December 2021 murder of his girlfriend, a murder he committed and then called 911 to report, the Schenectady County District Attorney’s Office said.

Malcolm Gadsden, 51, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in connection with the Dec. 23, 2021 murder of 40-year-old January Butcher at 964 State St.

Gadsden guilty plea came as jury selection was about to start in the case, prosecutors said.

Gadsden is to be sentenced in June to 18 years to life in prison.

The investigation began early on Dec. 24, 2021 as dispatchers received 911 calls from Gadsden indicating he needed to be picked up by police because he had just killed his girlfriend at 964 State St., prosecutors said.

Police went to Gadsden’s location and then to the address, where they found Butcher’s body, prosecutors said.

Gadsden was then taken to the Police Department, where he gave detectives a lengthy and full confession, prosecutors said. He admitted to killing Butcher by stabbing and choking her.

Investigators corroborated his confession with an autopsy, street camera footage and forensic evidence, including finding Butcher’s blood on Gadsden’s clothing and his DNA on her body, prosecutors said.

“This case is another tragic manifestation of domestic violence that we have seen too many times,” Schenectady County District Attorney Robert Carney said in a press release. “There was never a doubt as to who killed Ms. Butcher but the defense was hoping for a manslaughter conviction on the theory that he killed her under the influence of an extreme emotional disturbance. Our prosecutors were well prepared to disprove that theory and it was very important to the family of Ms. Butcher that the defendant be held accountable for intentionally causing her death. Today he acknowledged his guilt to intentional murder.”

Special Victims Bureau Chief John J. Carson and Assistant District Attorney Maria Apruzzese prosecuted. Gadsden was represented by Schenectady County Public Defender Stephen Signore and Assistant Public Defender Stephan Weiss. Judge Matthew J. Sypniewski presided.