88-year-old murder victim died of blunt impact injuries, police said

WEST CAMP―Police have identified the 88-year-old woman found murdered in West Camp and released some details on the grisly crime allegedly committed by a teen.

Elena Bonjolo of West Camp Road in Saugerties was killed sometime between 9:15 a.m. and 1:52 p.m. on Sunday, June 7, according to Saugerties Police.

“Through an investigation and examination, the cause of death was determined to be a result of blunt impact injuries to the head and neck,” Saugerties Police reported.

Later that day, police arrested 15-year-old Mark J. Wanchik II of Saugerties and charged him with second-degree murder. He was arraigned on Monday and is remanded to what police described as a secure facility.

Wanchik is being treated as a juvenile offender. He is represented by the Ulster County Office of Public Defender.

Saugerties Police said they first became aware of the possible homicide when the teen was brought into the police station by family members. Officers then responded to 25 John Shults Road and found Bonjolo deceased outside of an abandoned residence at that location.

Bonjolo, who lived in close proximity to Wanchik , was not related to him but police said they knew each other.

As of Friday, authorities have not released any additional information on the murder or the apparent motive. The investigation remains active and Saugerties Police said further details will be released as they become available.

Services for Bonjolo are under the care of Seamon-Wilsey Funeral Home.

According to her obituary, Bonjolo was born in Croatia and had been a Saugerties area resident for almost 70 years.

She leaves behind four sons and three grandchildren and would have celebrated her 89th birthday on Monday, June 15.

“Though small in stature, Elena possessed a vibrant and unforgettable personality… She always said she wanted to be three things in her life. She wanted to be a good wife, a good mother and a good neighbor. She achieved all three without question,” her obituary states.

West Camp, a small hamlet of less than 100 people within the town of Saugerties, is located about a mile south of the Greene County line.