NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WKBW) — A suspect is facing charges in the death of 28-year-old Mariah Wilson, a mother of two who was found murdered in her home on La Salle Avenue in Niagara Falls on September 4, 2020.
Following an 18-month investigation, the Niagara County District Attorney's Office announced an indictment was unsealed in Niagara County Court Thursday charging Atrel Hudson, who formerly lived on La Salle Avenue, with Wilson's death.
According to the district attorney's office, Hudson allegedly intentionally caused Wilson's death in the course of and the furtherance of the crimes of first-degree sexual abuse and second-degree burglary.
Hudson was arraigned in Niagara County Court Thursday and faces the following charges:
- One count of first-degree murder
- One count of second-degree murder
- First-degree sexual abuse
- Second-degree burglary
- Second-degree criminal possession of a weapon
He was remanded to the custody of the Niagara County Sheriff's Office pending trial. He faces a maximum penalty of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Wilson's cousin, Julia Stevens, told 7 News in September 2020 that Wilson called police the night of September 4 to report there were people in her house who were unwelcome. Stevens said it wasn’t uncommon for friends and family to congregate on Wilson’s porch, but no one was there that night.
The 7 News I-Team submitted a FOIL request to the Niagara Falls Police Department in 2021 which states Wilson's cause of death was "gunfire." Wilson's family spoke to 7 News in November 2021 as they continued to search for answers and justice.
Hudson also faces charges in a separate case in connection to a robbery at the 7-Eleven on Pine Avenue in Niagara Falls in September 2020.
