Hadley Horror: A Hero Stops a Kidnapping Before a Killer Strikes in Corinth

A Guardian at Stewart’s Pond – The Man Who Stopped a Kidnapping

On any given summer day, you can find Dusty Dunn at Stewart’s Pond Recreation Area in Hadley, NY—sitting at the wooden picnic table next to the port-a-potties, puffing on his corncob pipe, and watching the world go by.

Locals know him well. At nearly 65 years old and round in stature, Dusty is as much a part of Stewart’s Pond as the water itself. He never misses a day.

But on April 7, 2020, Dusty Dunn wasn’t just a familiar face at the park—he was a guardian angel.

It was divine timing, fate, or sheer luck that placed him exactly where he needed to be as Dylan Vella pulled up, eyes locked on two unsuspecting women.

A Bad Situation That Could Have Been Worse

Vella wasn’t there to enjoy the park. He had something sinister in mind.

He approached the two women, speaking in a way that instantly made Dusty Dunn uneasy.

Sarah Callahan, who was also at Stewart’s Pond that day, remembers how quickly things escalated.

"At first, I thought maybe they knew each other, but then I saw their body language change. They looked uncomfortable. I couldn’t hear what he was saying, but I could see it wasn’t good."

Before anyone could react, Vella pulled out a knife and tried to force the women toward his vehicle.

But Dusty Dunn had already sensed something was off—and he wasn’t about to sit back and watch.

With no hesitation, he shot up from his table and charged straight toward Vella.

• “Hey! You get the hell away from them!” Dusty roared, his deep voice carrying across the park.

• Vella whipped his head around, realizing he had been caught.

• But Dusty wasn’t stopping in fact he started charging towards Vella

• "I mean it! I’ll break your damn nose if you don’t get lost!"

That was enough.

Vella hesitated for a split second—two seconds, maybe—and then made a break for his car.

He sped out of Stewart’s Pond, leaving Sarah Callahan and another witness, Greg Thomas, in stunned silence.

A Community’s Gratitude

Sarah Callahan and Greg Thomas later spoke on behalf of the two women, who still don’t want to be named publicly out of fear.

"If that man Dusty Dunn hadn’t stepped in when he did, it would have been over," Callahan said. "That man was two seconds away from speeding off with them in his car. But not with Dusty watching."

Thomas agreed.

"On behalf of those women, I want to thank Dusty. He saw something wasn’t right, and he did something about it. Who knows what would’ve happened if he hadn’t?"

Dusty himself doesn’t think he did anything special.

"I was just in the right place at the right time, I guess. I don’t know what that guy was up to, but I know it wasn’t good," he said, taking a puff of his corncob pipe.

But others believe it was something greater.

"It had to be God," Thomas said. "God put Dusty there that day. He’s always at that park. And thank God for that."

Minutes Later: A Deadly Crash in Corinth

Only moments after fleeing Stewart’s Pond, Vella’s crimes took an even darker turn.

He sped toward Corinth, where he made an unthinkable choice:

He aimed his vehicle at a group of motorcyclists stopped at the red light and plowed into them.

• Paul Hollenbeck of Corinth was killed instantly.

• Two others suffered catastrophic injuries, now living with rods and screws holding their bodies together.

• A fourth victim barely survived.

In the courtroom, one survivor spoke directly to Vella:

"I want you to have a life sentence, because that’s exactly what we’ve been given."

The Sentencing & Final Justice

After a long and painful trial, Judge James A. Murphy III gave Vella the maximum penalty possible:

• 20 years to life for the murder of Paul Hollenbeck.

• 15 years for two counts of Assault in the First Degree.

• 7 years for Assault in the Second Degree.

• 7 years for Sexual Abuse in the First Degree (for attacking a woman at Stewart’s Pond).

• Mandatory sex offender registration.

A Community That Won’t Forget

In Hadley, Corinth, and the Town of Day, people still talk about the night Dylan Vella tore through their towns.

They also talk about the man who stopped it from being worse.

Ask anyone at Stewart’s Pond on a summer day, and they’ll tell you:

If Dusty Dunn is sitting at that picnic table by the port-a-potties, smoking his pipe—you’re safe.

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