By Liz McBreen
The shots rang out on Madison Street in Elmont just over the Valley Stream border at about 9:15 last Wednesday morning. Police say DeMorcy, 45, had climbed up the chimney of his wife's home, broke into a second story window, and fired three shots. One of the bullets hit his wife, 35-year-old Marie DeMorcy, in the leg.
According to the victim's stepfather, Uheurich Bernard, the suspect had attempted to choke Marie last month, and then beat her. She contacted the police and obtained an order of protection.
As a result, DeMorcy, who has been married to his wife for 13 years, was charged with third degree assault and only spent six days in jail. Upon his release, DeMorcy returned to Marie's home asking forgiveness. His wife did not allow him back into the house, but she did not report his visit to the police.
Bernard, who was in the basement at the time of the shooting, said that the suspect came back to the house after being told by his wife to stay away. "He came back with a gun and shot her in the leg. He tried to shoot her mother, but she hid."
Veronique Austin, the victim's mother, was upstairs with her daughter shortly before the shooting. The victim was doing her Austin's hair. "I had gone downstairs, and then I heard her screaming." The victim was able to run out of the house and across the street.
The suspect then came downstairs looking for Austin, but she hid in her bedroom with DeMorcy's three children, ages 12, 9 and 3, in hopes of avoiding him. One of the family members triggered the house alarm, which notified the police. Marie DeMorcy was in her neighbor's driveway suffering from the gunshot wound when police arrived.
At the scene, Austin recalled the many times that her son-in-law had threatened her daughter and the rest of the family. She added that her daughter had asked the police not to let DeMorcy go after he was detained for choking her on July 30 based on his history of domestic abuse, but the police were legally unable to keep him behind bars.
The suspect had not lived in Madison Street house since his release from prison, but the family said he would occasionally come back. Austin says she would beg her daughter not to let him into the house, which was purchased by Austin and her daughter in December of last year.
One of the supervising officers on the scene, Sgt. Joseph Kraus, confirmed that the couple had a history of domestic problems. Kraus said that shortly before police responded a neighbor was chasing DeMorcy down Madison Street on foot. The suspect was able to allude capture at the time, but Kraus said that "arrest is imminent." A police helicopter responded, as well as Nassau County Police who searched for DeMorcy on foot.
On Friday, August 23, police followed up on a tip to Hollis, Queens. There, they found DeMorcy hiding in a garage near an acquaintance's residence, according to Fifth Squad Detective Robert Galgano. They also found a gun matching the one used to shoot Marie DeMorcy in the garage.
Austin said that her daughter's marriage had been one of abuse for many years. DeMorcy is a mechanic who, according to Austin, cannot hold down a job for more than a few months at a time. The victim's mother has often wanted to report DeMorcy's comings and goings at the house, but was asked by her daughter not to get involved.
According to her mother, Marie DeMorcy and her children were often brought by family members to relatives in either New England or Canada to avoid her abusive husband. Austin said that her daughter had just returned from Canada on the night of August 19.
DeMorcy is being charged with two counts of second degree attempted murder, one count of first degree assault, first degree criminal use of a firearm, second degree criminal possession of a weapon, and first degree aggravated criminal contempt. He was arraigned at First District Court on Sunday and is being held with the bail set at one million dollars cash.
