Cohoes Police Chief Todd Walden and Cohoes City Mayor William T. Keeler announced on Friday that after a 12-day manhunt, 53-year-old Anthony Bechand, who is suspected of murdering his girlfriend, Amanda Rodriguez, was found and arrested by State Police Friday morning on State Route 86 in Franklin County in the Adirondacks.
According to Cohoes Police Chief Todd Walden, Cohoes police found 41-year-old Rodriguez’s body at her home on September 14, after her mother couldn’t reach her. Bechand fled the scene, and police tracked his vehicle, a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck, to the Adirondack town of Brighton in Franklin County that same day.
On Thursday, Sept. 25, State Police asked the public to report any sightings of Bechand in the area, resharing his physical description and urging the public to call the police with any tips.
Chief Walden said that the press conference was “instrumental” in the capture of Bechand.
“I think it was important the information had been put out very early on. The suspect's description [and] his photo was released, but I think it was a great idea to refresh that information in case somebody missed it, or to reassure people that if you had seen him, if you had potentially given him a ride somewhere, and you were unaware of the circumstances, you won't be in any trouble,” he said. “But if you see anything at all, you have to let us know.”
Bechand was found three miles from where he abandoned his truck in Brighton. He was captured without incident and arrested after two members of the public contacted police about a suspicious man walking on the Route 86. According to Walden, one recognized Bechand from the photo in the press release, and the other reported a man who looked out of place in their area.
State Police Troop B Commander Major Peter Arcadi said Thursday that a search of Bechand’s vehicle found he likely had an injury on his left side, but officials declined to provide specific details because the investigation is ongoing.
Chief Walden says there was no history of police calls to Rodriguez’s address, where she had lived for the last 10 years.
“One of the unique parts of this case was we didn't even have one call to that residence. You could not have a criminal history, but you could have the police call to your house because you're having a verbal argument, because there's loud noise, because there's this disturbance, any one of a number of things can generate that response. And in this case, in the 10 years that she resided at that house, we don't have a single call for anything.”
Both Mayor Keeler and Walden praised the cooperation between local, municipal, and state law enforcement agencies. State Police Troop G Commander Major Christopher Gilroy said this manhunt was one of the largest in the Capital Region, possibly second only to the manhunt for Richard Matt and David Sweat, who escaped from the Clinton County Correctional Facility in Dannemora in 2015.
Officials did not share any further details about the evidence found in Rodriguez’s home or any potential charges against Bechand for his role in Rodriguez's death. Bechand is scheduled to appear for arraignment Monday in Albany County Court.
