FBI doubles reward in Megan McDonald murder case, to $20K

Peter D. Kramer, Times Herald-Record
·2 min read

Middletown - People with information about one of Orange County's most high-profile unsolved murders now have 20,000 reasons to come forward and name the killer.

The FBI announced it will add $10,000 to the reward for information leading to the arrest of the person responsible for the bludgeoning death of 20-year-old Megan McDonald, whose body was found in a Wallkill field on March 15, 2003.

That doubles the reward offered by the New York Police Department's Detective Endowment Association, which promised $10,000 on behalf of the McDonald family. Megan's father, Dennis, was an NYPD detective before his 2002 death.

Deep Dive: Read the full story on the latest details in the Megan McDonald case

New York State Police investigators say they've never been closer to an arrest in the case and recently laid out new details of the vivacious 20-year-old's final hours. They include:

  • New DNA analysis putting their prime suspect in the back seat of Megan's car;

  • A "Criminal Minds" FBI profile of the prime suspect, a man investigators say is a classic narcissist;

  • A witness' recollection of a dark-colored hatchback with a booming sound system, seen tailing Megan's 1991 Mercury Sable on the night she disappeared.

For years, the reward for information in the case rose steadily, to nearly $50,000, the life savings of the dead woman's mother, Elizabeth McDonald, said New York State Police Investigator Brad Natalizio. But when no one came forward after more than a decade, and Elizabeth McDonald faced retirement, that reward was taken off the table, Natalizio said.

New York State Police Investigator Brad Natalizio at Greenway Terrace in Middletown Feb. 17, 2022. Megan McDonald was seen there on the night of her disappearance.
New York State Police Investigator Brad Natalizio at Greenway Terrace in Middletown Feb. 17, 2022. Megan McDonald was seen there on the night of her disappearance.

After a recent article on the 19th anniversary of Megan's death, the FBI office in New Windsor decided to increase the reward, the investigator said.

Read the full story that takes you deeper into the Megan McDonald case than you've ever been.

Megan McDonald tips

Anyone with information on the 2003 murder of Megan McDonald is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALLFBI (1-800-225-5324) or the New York State Police confidential tip line at 845-344-5370. crimetip@troopers.ny.gov.

Reach Peter D. Kramer, a 34-year staffer, at pkramer@gannett.com or on Twitter at @PeterKramer. Read his latest stories. Local reporting like Pete's only works if subscribers support it, which you can do at www.lohud.com/subscribe.

This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: FBI doubles reward to $20K in 2003 Megan McDonald murder