Search underway for remains of missing Fiona Spence; BCI investigator and county deputy hospitalized after farmhouse confrontation
By Rachel Foley, Staff Writer
High Peaks — A 58-year-old Adirondack Medical Center nurse and her late husband have been identified as the individuals responsible for the abduction and murder of at least seven young women over a six-year period, including missing college student Kara Ellison, whose disappearance five years ago prompted one of the largest searches in Adirondack history.
Lydia Holt, a registered nurse employed at Adirondack Medical Center for twenty-seven years, was shot and killed during a confrontation with law enforcement at her Mountain Lane property on Wednesday evening. Her husband, Earl Holt, a former EMT, died of cancer two years ago. Authorities believe the couple acted together until Earl Holt's death, after which Lydia Holt continued alone.
Bureau of Criminal Investigation Senior Investigator Noah Sutherland and Adirondack County Deputy Callie Thorne were both hospitalized following the incident. Sutherland remains in critical but stable condition after being administered a high dose of morphine by Holt. Thorne sustained a gunshot wound during the confrontation and is listed in stable condition. Both are expected to recover.
According to sources close to the investigation, the Holts abducted young women connected to a network of businesses and organizations in the High Peaks region, including the White Stone Deli, the Strutz Modeling Agency, and campuses in the tri-lakes area. The victims were held in a concealed underground bunker beneath a grain silo on the Holt property. Authorities described the space as a concrete room equipped with a cot, restraints, and a chain bolted to the wall.
Investigators believe the motive was deeply personal. The couple's son, Paul Holt, 28, who has a developmental disability, was at the center of the operation. Sources indicate the Holts sought companions for their son, holding young women captive for weeks or months at a time in the belief they would form an emotional bond. When the women did not, they were killed and their bodies disposed of in Bloomingdale Bog.
Paul Holt was taken into custody without incident at his aunt's residence in Saranac Lake on Wednesday evening. He has been placed under supervised psychiatric care while investigators determine the extent of his knowledge and involvement in his parents' actions. His attorney issued a brief statement describing Holt as "a vulnerable individual who was himself a victim of his parents' crimes" and requested privacy.
Kara Ellison, 21, a SUNY Plattsburgh student who vanished on the evening of January 15th five years ago after a single-vehicle accident on Route 73, has been confirmed as the Holts' first known victim. Investigators now believe Earl Holt, responding in his capacity as an EMT, was the first person on scene that night. Ellison, disoriented from the crash, entered the vehicle willingly. Her remains have not been recovered and the search for her body is ongoing.
A witness statement filed days after the disappearance by Lydia Holt, in which she reported seeing a police SUV at the crash site, is now believed to have been a deliberate fabricationdesigned to divert suspicion away from her husband's EMT vehicle. The statement fueled years of public speculation about law enforcement involvement in Ellison's disappearance.
The discovery resolves a case that escalated rapidly over the past two weeks after the murder of college student Brooke Danvers led investigators to six preserved bodies in Bloomingdale Bog. Derek Hollis, 31, who was arrested last week in connection with the killings, remains in custody. The Adirondack County District Attorney's office declined to comment on whether charges against Hollis will be reviewed in light of the new developments, though legal experts say the case against him has been significantly undermined.
Garrett Finch, arrested separately on charges related to underage photographs, is not believed to be connected to the murders.
Authorities also confirmed that Seraphine Maddox, a Saranac Lake artist whose sketch of Bloomingdale Bog drew early attention in the investigation, was found drugged and restrained at the Holt property. She was transported to Adirondack Medical Center. Investigators believe Holt targeted Maddox because of her connection to the case through her mother, Jessie Maddox, a former nurse at the same hospital who disappeared from the Three Pillar Community more than two decades ago. The relationship between Lydia Holt and Jessie Maddox is now a focus of the ongoing investigation.
Fiona Spence, 18, a college student and the most recent known victim, has not been found. Holt reportedly told investigators before her death that Spence's remains were moved to a secondary location after the Bloomingdale Bog site was discovered by police. Cadaver dogs and search teams began working the Holt property and surrounding areas Thursday morning. Spence's father, Mark Spence, declined to comment.
The case has also renewed questions about the conviction and execution of Carter Lyle, who was put to death at the federal penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana, on Tuesday for the murder of Kara Ellison. When asked whether the identification of the Holts as Ellison's killers would prompt a review of Lyle's case, a spokesperson for the Attorney General's office said only that "the matter is under review." Federal authorities have not commented on whether Lyle had any connection to the Holts.
Hailey Benton, 20, whose body was recovered from Round Lake earlier this week, has been confirmed through dental records as the victim. Benton, who had been hospitalized at Adirondack Medical Center after being found alive near Bloomingdale Bog, left the hospital under circumstances that are now under investigation. Authorities believe Holt used her position at the hospital to facilitate Benton's removal from the building.
A memorial for the victims is being organized by the families. Details have not been announced.
Anyone with information related to the Holt investigation is asked to contact the Bureau of Criminal Investigation at the number listed below.
"That's quite the write-up," Callie said.
McKenzie nodded. The grin was gone. “Aye, I stopped by Mark Spence's home yesterday to give him the news. Damn shame. He was really holding out hope they'd find her alive."
"They always do," Callie said.
She set the paper down on the bed. The headline stared up at them from the white sheet. Seven women. Six years. A nurse and her husband and a son who never asked for any of it.
That was when Seraphine appeared in the doorway. A wheelchair, pushed by Dr. Whitfield. Seraphine looked smaller than Callie remembered. Thinner. But her eyes were clear.
"Detective Thorne."
Callie glanced over her shoulder. "It's Deputy Thorne. Haven't made detective yet."
“Aye, though she will, mark my words. She's a chip off the old block," McKenzie said, winking at Callie before stepping toward the door. "I'll check back with you later." He nodded to Seraphine and Dr. Whitfield as he passed and then he was gone.
"I just wanted to thank you," Seraphine said.
"Well, it wasn't just me. If it wasn't for you, I'm convinced we wouldn't have known about the other women."
"Is Investigator Sutherland going to be okay?" Seraphine asked.
"I believe so," Callie replied with a warm smile.
