Originally posted on August 9, 2022 @ 9:04 pm
People Magazine Investigates Recap for Gone in the Night
Gloversville, NY
Ally Lamont was a 22-year-old who lived close to her hometown and was close to her friends, family and boyfriend. She was living with her friend Jennie Young and Jennie’s daughter, ready to begin life on her own.
That Fateful Night
In March 2019, she began working at a deli, hoping to earn money for her own place. On October 29th of that year, she was reported missing by her sister. Despite Ally not being reported missing, Officer Simonson realizes something seems amiss and goes to look for her. When he gets back to the station, he discovers Jennie also called in to report her missing.
The Investigation Begins
Officer Simonson decides to look more into her disappearance and discovers that Jennie hadn’t seen or heard from her since the 28th. The last time she saw her was when she visited her at work to pick up her phone charger.
He then goes to talk to William Deming, who was Ally’s boyfriend at the time. However, he was not home because according to his brother, he was also looking for Ally.
At this point, Officer Simonson puts a ‘be on the lookout’ alert for Ally and the next morning tells the detectives on duty about her disappearance. The investigation continues and Detectives Nellis and Faville go to question Ally’s ex Tyler, but he was nowhere to be found.
Questioning Begins
William is finally questioned and says he also last heard from her on the 28th. He cooperated with authorities and was not considered a suspect.
The detectives then go to Ally’s job and talk to manager James Duffy’s girlfriend. She said Ally was not working the night in question. She gave them James’s number, as well as the number of the owner Georgios Kakavelos. However, they did not answer.
On October 30th, the NYS police are brought in to help with the case. Meanwhile, friends and family continue to look for Ally on their own.
Authorities finally question Tyler, who claimed they haven’t spoken since they got into a fight over him allegedly cheating, leading to a domestic incident. He claims he had to restrain her and then he blocked her on social media and his phone and that they haven’t spoken since.
An Unexpected Twist
Things get complicated when it is discovered that Ally was a runaway when she was younger and had problems with depression.
Authorities are finally able to contact James and Georgios, noting that James in particular was acting intoxicated. Georgios admits he saw her the night she went missing and that he gave her a $500 loan.
A deeper look into the deli shows employees working on renovations and cleaning up a soda leak.
More Questioning
Since it is hard to figure out what is amiss, the guys are brought into the station for more questioning. James continues to be emotional, while Georgios sticks to his story about the loan, adding that she left between 7:30 and 8:00 the night she disappeared.
Georgios seemed concerned about Ally, noting that he was worried she might get herself into trouble and that she was suicidal.
Authorities then ask Georgios to see his phone, which leads to him acting cagey. He also begins acting strange when he is asked about James.
James is questioned again the next day. He is willing to share information, but demands that the DA sign off and they leave him alone. The authorities can’t promise anything and notice James doing an ‘evil laugh.’
A Confession
James then drops a bombshell–Georgios paid him $500 to help get rid of Ally because he believed she was going to report him for fraud. Georgios kept Ally in the deli to help clean up after hours. While Ally was doing dishes, James snuck up on her and smacked her with a baseball bat. He then kept choking and attacking her until she finally died. They then leaked the soda to cover up the scene and used that as a reason for the cleanup.
Georgios went to Walmart to get more cleaning supplies and items to help get rid of Ally and the evidence. Ally was then put into Georgios’s car, along with the evidence. The men dropped evidence off in different places and Ally was buried in a shallow grave.
The Arrest
James then showed them where to find everything. Further investigation led authorities to the body.
James is arrested and Georgios is brought in for more questioning, unaware that James confessed. He is read his rights and placed under arrest.
May 12, 2021–The Trial Begins
Georgios goes on trial, with James agreeing to testify against him. It comes out that Georgios was in massive debt and planning on going into bankruptcy. He also wasn’t reporting hours correctly and not paying employees properly.
It turns out that on September 10, 2019, the Department of Labor visited the deli. Ally and another coworker told them about what was happening. Later on, Ally told James, who told Georgios.
Georgios began getting letters from the Department of Labor, demanding to see the payroll records. Ally was also threatening to turn him in, which led to him and James killing her.
However, Georgios denies his role in it, saying he only helped James after seeing he killed Ally. The Walmart video records show he was not under duress as he claimed, while receipts show he purchased candy and magazines.
Sentencing
James is given 18 to life for his role in the murder and for testifying against Georgios. He will be eligible for parole in 2037.
Georgios was sentenced to life without parole and is appealing his sentence.
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