Mary Louise Kozak

In the quiet town of Eden, New York, a tragedy unfolded that would be remembered as the community's first murder in three decades. On April 20, 2017, Mary Louise Kozak, a 79-year-old female, was found deceased in her East Eden Road home. The cause of her death was a fatal gunshot wound. The grim discovery launched an immediate investigation that quickly focused on a primary suspect, her son.

Wayne Kozak, who was 48 years old at the time, was identified as a person of interest in his mother's death. He had been living with his mother following an accident that had reportedly changed him both physically and psychologically. Shortly after his mother's body was discovered, law enforcement located Wayne Kozak at a motel in Erie, Pennsylvania, approximately 75 miles from the scene of the crime. He was taken into custody without incident.

Following his arrest, Wayne Kozak was extradited back to Western New York to face legal proceedings. Initially, he pleaded not guilty to a murder charge. However, in October 2018, he accepted a plea deal and pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree manslaughter. Erie County District Attorney John Flynn noted that Wayne Kozak had been dealing with some medical issues. While a definitive motive for the killing was not publicly disclosed by prosecutors, the legal process moved forward to sentencing.

In November 2018, Wayne Kozak, then 50, was sentenced for the killing of his mother. He received a determinate sentence of 23 years in prison, which would be followed by five years of post-release supervision. The sentencing marked the conclusion of a case that had deeply affected the small town of Eden.