Naman Shrestha
The episode titled ‘Unholy Alliances’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘Betrayed’ delves deep into the mysterious disappearance and horrific killing of 59-year-old Dorothy “Dottie” Finelli in Lake Luzerne, New York, in October 2002. Although the investigation was swift, the detectives chased many clues and possible suspects and persons of interest before they apprehended the perpetrator responsible for the gruesome crime. Featuring emotional interviews, the documentary offers a detailed account of the entire case and the investigation that ensued.
Dorothy “Dottie” Finelli’s Remains Were Found Days After Her Sudden Disappearance
Dorothy Edith “Dottie” Luciano Finelli was born on July 24, 1943, in Revere, Massachusetts, to a loving set of parents — Alfred N. Luciano and Adeline S. Scales Wilson. After graduating from Revere High School, Dorothy earned a teaching degree. In her early 20s, she married the love of her life, Joseph “Joe” Finelli, on December 26, 1967, in Centerport, Long Island. For more than a decade, the couple lived in Miller Place, Long Island, where she reportedly worked with children with special needs and taught typing. Besides that, she also owned and operated the Nature’s Fuel Company with her husband. Dorothy and Joseph also became parents to their daughter, Vicki A. Hayes, shortly after their marriage.
In 1980, they relocated to Lake Luzerne, New York, and began operating the Gulf Service Station at Exit 21 in Lake George. Moreover, the couple also ran the Sunoco Service Station. After retiring in 1986, Dorothy became the pastor’s administrative assistant and church secretary at the First Baptist Church of Glens Falls. The devoted fan of the Adirondack IceHawks, who lived at 110 Gage Hill Road in Lake Luzerne, was an integral member of the Queen Village Chapter 825 Order of the Eastern Star, the William J. Varney American Legion Post 862 Ladies Auxiliary of Lake Luzerne, and the Queen of the Lake Chapter Red Hat Society. Being an animal lover, she considered her cat Patch a family member. In her free time, she loved spending time with her family, including her two grandsons, Christopher and Kevin Hayes.
After nearly 31 years of marriage, Joseph passed away on November 30, 1998, leaving Dorothy devastated. While dealing with the loss of her life partner, she continued working at the church and surrounded herself with her daughter and grandsons. When she didn’t show up at the church on the morning of October 24, 2002, her coworkers called the authorities and requested a welfare check. The authorities found her car in the garage and her purse on the bed, with the TV turned on. Although there was nothing out of place or any sign of forced entry, 59-year-old Dorothy was nowhere to be found. However, on the back porch outside, the detectives noticed signs of a struggle and traces of blood and hair. Three days later, on October 27, her remains were found submerged in Viele Pond near Warrensburg, New York, with the help of cadaver dogs. The autopsy revealed that she was severely beaten and strangled to death by the perpetrator.
Dorothy “Dottie” Finelli’s Killer Was Tied to the Murder Through Forensic Evidence
To get to the bottom of the case, the detectives focused on the people in Dorothy “Dottie” Finelli’s life. They learned that she had recently started using online dating websites, where she met Curtis. He was cleared as a suspect early on after he provided a solid alibi. Several months earlier, in February 2002, her daughter, Vicki, was allegedly physically abused by her then-boyfriend, Heath B. Russell, after which Vicki broke up with him. By April 2002, she began dating George Blanchard. The investigators also turned their attention to George and Vicki’s ex-husband, Michael Hayes, but eliminated both of them from the list of possible suspects. They also suspected Heath of being involved with Dorothy’s disappearance and murder, given his prior assault arrests.
During his questioning, Heath had maintained his innocence. Reportedly, the police tailed him all weekend as they were not convinced of his innocence. On October 27, 2002, besides finding Dorothy’s remains, the detectives also found three shovels in the nearby bushes, and one or two of them had the initials “HR” on them, raising more suspicions about Heath Russell’s involvement. That same day, he was arrested on an unrelated grand larceny charge at a friend’s home in Warrensburg. At the time, he was a self-employed cement contractor. In the following days, the detectives searched his property to gather evidence against him. They found traces of blood in his truck, on his trailer, and on the driveway.
When interrogated about the shovels found near Dorothy’s remains, Heath claimed that he had lost them several months ago. Although he admitted to going down to her house on the evening of October 23, 2002, to pick up lumber, he continued denying his involvement in the murder. When it was found that the blood on his property and belongings belonged to Dorothy, he was officially charged with second-degree murder. The detectives theorized that on October 23, Heath went to Dorothy’s residence and strangled her to death outside her house after beating her severely. He then disposed of her remains in Viele Pond.
Heath Russell is Currently Incarcerated at a New York Prison
In 2003, Heath B. Russell stood trial for the killing of Dorothy “Dottie” Finelli. In the end, he was found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. However, a couple of years later, his conviction was overturned due to a juror’s bias. That same year, in 2005, his retrial began. During the trial, the defense tried to incriminate her daughter, Vicki Hayes, as she had a lot to gain from Dorothy’s death. They also tried to shift the blame to Vicky’s ex-husband, Michael Hayes. Ultimately, Heath was convicted and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison again. As of today, the 60-year-old killer is serving his sentence at NYSDOC Ulster Correctional Facility in Napanoch, New York, with his parole eligibility date scheduled for October 2027.
Read More: Suzy Goulart Murder: Where is Jermaine Holley Now?
