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A Syracuse, New York, man accused of fatally shooting his young son and girlfriend faces trial this fall after rejecting a plea deal that would have kept him behind bars for decades.
An Onondaga County judge has set an October 19 trial date for David Huff, 43, according to CNY Central. Huff is charged with the murders of his 11-year-old son, Jeremiah Huff, and his 32-year-old girlfriend, Yeraldith Tschudy. A pre-trial hearing has also been scheduled for Tuesday (April 7).
The killings took place on Monday (March 17, 2025), inside the Valley neighborhood home of Huff's stepfather, Charles O'Donnell, at 128 Roney Road. Syracuse.com reports that Huff used a Remington 870 Express 12-gauge shotgun to shoot Jeremiah and Tschudy multiple times around 9:30 p.m. Jeremiah's mother was the first to call 911, after her son reached out to her in distress shortly before he died.
Huff fled the home before officers arrived. New York State Police arrested him the following morning, around 9:30 a.m., near West Seneca Turnpike, close to the scene.
In addition to two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder, Huff also faces an attempted murder charge. Spectrum News reports that Huff allegedly tried to shoot O'Donnell during the attack, but his gun malfunctioned. He also faces a criminal possession of a weapon charge.
Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick offered Huff a plea deal last October — two counts of second-degree murder carrying consecutive sentences of 20 years to life in prison, totaling 40 years to life. Huff rejected the offer. If convicted on the first-degree murder charge at trial, he could face life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Huff's attorney, Shaun Chase, said his client has already accepted responsibility for the crime and that everyone involved is considering the impact of a mental health episode Huff was reportedly experiencing at the time of the murders.
The trial is set to begin on October 19, 2026.