MAYFIELD - A man whose wife was found dead June 4 and is considered a person of interest in her death pleaded not guilty Tuesday to driving while intoxicated and four other vehicle and traffic infractions.
Town Justice John Papa entered the plea on behalf of Brent S. Alling Sr., 42, of 127 Delaney Road, who appeared somewhat agitated as he was arraigned on the charges.
The counts are unrelated to the death of Alling's wife, 54-year-old Kathryn Jackson Alling, whose naked, bruised body was found on remote Tyrrell Road by town Highway Department workers collecting trash.
Article Photos
Above, Brent S. Alling Sr. of Mayfield stands before Town Justice John Papa during his arraignment on a driving while intoxicated charge and several vehicle-and-traffic law charges Tuesday.
The Leader-Herald/Bill Trojan
Authorities are still investigating her death and waiting for autopsy findings to determine the cause.
Sheriff Thomas Lorey last week said both Allings had used synthetic "bath salts," but he stopped short of saying the hallucinogen played a role in the woman's death.
Alling has been held in the Fulton County Jail on $2,500 bail or $5,000 bond since his arrest. Dressed in a standard orange inmate uniform, Alling was arraigned in a 12-minute procedure, flanked by three county corrections officers.
During the arraignment, it was revealed "orders" of protection were granted through Fulton County Family Court against Alling.
"They got served today on the defendant," Fulton County District Attorney Louise Sira told the judge.
Neither Alling's public-assigned attorney, Robert Abdella of Gloversville, nor Sira, who is prosecuting the DWI and traffic counts, could say after the arraignment whom the orders were meant to protect.
Abdella asked his client if he understood the particulars of the orders of protection. Alling shot back: "Yeah, I understand."
Papa ordered Alling back to the county jail in lieu of $2,500 bail or $5,000 bond. He set 45 days of motions and a return date of the case of Aug. 14 in Town Court.
Alling was charged by state police, who pulled over his vehicle the day after his wife's body was found. In addition to DWI, he was charged with a license-restriction violation, unsafe turn/failure to signal, a seatbelt violation and refusal to take a breath test.
"I am going to be suspending your license because of the refusal," Papa told Alling, although he said Alling is entitled to a hearing on that ruling.
Papa asked if there were any other concerns in the case, and Abdella brought up the bail amount for his client.
"I've expressed an opinion that it is an inappropriate amount of bail for a first-time offender," Abdella said.
After the arraignment, Abdella said he may seek a bail reduction, possibly in the next couple days, before state Supreme Court Justice Richard T. Aulisi in Johnstown. He said he continues to advise Alling to not talk to the media or make public statements about his case.
Abdella also said his client is "devastated" by his wife's death. He said Alling feels there's "nothing he can do" now to get his side of the story out.
His wife was buried Monday in Prospect Hill Cemetery in Gloversville. Her obituary used her maiden name, and Alling was not listed as a survivor.
Abdella criticized those jumping to conclusions about the role of "bath salts" in the cases and said police should refrain from making characterizations about Alling.
"It seems a bit strange that the police are putting out these accusations about my client when they don't even know how my client's wife died," he said.
Abdella alluded to the possibility Kathryn Alling overdosed, and said authorities might want to keep an eye on people surrounding her who might have given her illegal drugs.
Much of that information, he said, is "relevant" to the circumstances surrounding her death.
Sira said today the investigation into Kathryn Alling's death continues. She said a lot hinges on final results of the autopsy done by the medical examiner, Dr. Michael Sikirica.
Authorities have said those results and toxicology tests could take weeks, although Sira has said the case is listed as a "high priority" in the area.
Michael Anich covers Johnstown and Fulton County news. He can be reached at johnstown@leaderherald.com.