Anthony G. Bechand

RAY BROOK — State Police captured Anthony G. Bechand, the 35-year-old Cohoes man wanted in connection with the Sept. 13 stabbing death of his girlfriend, on Friday morning, the Albany County District Attorney’s office announced.

Bechand was found walking on the side of the road last night, not far from where his truck was found in Brighton on Sept. 14.

The arrest comes one day after a press conference held at the State Police Troop B Headquarters in Ray Brook, when police said they had no leads on the investigation.

At the point of the press conference, the search had covered over 600 miles of recorded tracks over an area covering more than 950 acres. Over 240 homes, structures and dwellings were searched, with numerous interviews conducted at those with active residents.

Police said at the time that they believed Bechand acted alone in allegedly committing the homicide, but were unsure if he received help — intentionally or unintentionally — with the escape in this area. They also believed he traveled to the Tri-Lakes region alone and that he has no known connections to the area, aside from the family of his girlfriend, Amanda Margaret “Mandee” Rodriguez, 41, who has ties to Franklin County. They added that Bechand’s family and close contacts have all been cooperative in the investigation.

The U.S. Marshals Task Force; state DEC Forest Rangers; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; the Saranac Lake, Lake Placid and Plattsburgh police departments; the Franklin, Essex and Clinton counties sheriff offices; the northern regional response team and several other agencies assisted State Police and the Cohoes Police Department in this investigation.

According to Rodriguez’s obituary, she was born in Malone in 1983, grew up there and graduated from Franklin Academy High School in 2002. She worked for a brief time as a security guard at Paul Smith’s College. In 2011, she was working as a lease agent in Clifton Park.

Her death has been ruled a homicide with the cause of death being hemorrhagic shock, lacerated aorta and multiple pulmonary lacerations from multiple sharp force trauma. Cohoes Police Chief Todd Waldin said she was stabbed in the heart, but the weapon used is unclear.

Police believe the murder happened on the morning of Sept. 13. Waldin said Bechand’s truck was seen leaving the house that day. Police tracked the truck via license plate readers to the North Country. New York State Police said Bechand’s white 2024 Chevrolet Silverado was located a day later, 150 miles away in Brighton.

Rodriguez was born in Malone to Robert Bell and Crystal McNamara Rodriguez, according to her obituary. She had a brother, a step-father “who she admired very much and referred to as dad” and four “fur babies” whom she loved as children.

Keeler said Rodriguez’s mother had not heard from her, so she asked Rodriguez’s friend to check on her. The friend found her body and called police, Cohoes Mayor Bill Keeler said.

A celebration of her life will be held in Altona on Sept. 27, from noon to 4 p.m. in the Gold Room at the Rainbow Banquet Hall, 47 Woods Falls Road, Altona.

To read the full obituary, go to tinyurl.com/3r6f4c6f.