Woman admits to killing Lyndonville mother, gives insanity defense

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 November 2018 at 3:51 pm

Megan Dix

ROCHESTER – Holly Colino admitted in a Monroe County Court to murdering Megan Dix, a Lyndonville wife and mother who was having a lunch break on Aug. 25, 2017.

Colino admitted to all charges against her, including second-degree murder, in court on Monday, but she said she shouldn’t be held criminally responsible due to her mental health, according to a report from the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.

In admitting to the charges, Colino said a “mental disease or defect” was the true culprit in the crime.

Dix, 33, was sitting in a parked vehicle, on her lunch break in a Brockport park on South Avenue last summer. She worked at the Lowe’s in Brockport.

Colino shot Dix in the head. Colino was arrested three days later.

In court, she said she randomly chose someone to kill. Her attorney, Mark Foti, said she has little recollection of the crime.

Colino was ordered by the court to undergo a mental health examination. Two doctors independently determined she suffered from a psychotic mental disorder on Aug. 25, 2017, the day of the murder.

Colino is in treatment. Her case will now be handled by the Commissioner of Mental Health with a mental competency hearing to be scheduled. She is expected to spend the rest of her life in a psychiatric facility or hospital, according to the report from the Democrat and Chronicle.

Colino, 31, grew up in East Rochester. She had been living in Arizona. Brockport Police Chief Daniel Varrenti said after her arrest the murder was a random act of violence. Dix did not nothing wrong to provoke the attack, the police chief said.

Dix is the youngest of eight siblings. She married her high school sweetheart, Chris. Their son CJ is now 9.

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