JEB DALY
HUNTINGTON – Jeb Daly, Sr. pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder in Northampton District Court Friday, June 29.
Daly, 36, was charged with the murder of his girlfriend Jessica Dana, 30, of Rocky Brook Drive, Huntington.
Daly’s attorney Alan Rubin entered a plea of not guilty on Daly’s behalf.
Daly has been in custody since June 24. He was previously arraigned in Northampton District Court on charges of improper disposal of a body and misleading police. He has been held until now in lieu of $100,000 bail.
Assistant Northwestern District Attorney and Chief Trial Counsel Jeremy Bucci requested that Daly be held without bail to which Judge W. Michael Goggins agreed.
Dana was last seen alive a week ago at the home she shared with Daly, father of two of her three children. Daly reported her missing June 23 after her family insisted he call police.
Dana’s aunt, Tammy Zuccala, said the family was suspicious that something was wrong from the beginning.
“When we heard Jessie disappeared, we knew something was wrong,” said Zuccala. “We knew she would never leave her children.”
Bucci said that investigators have identified a fingerprint on a plastic bag used to wrap Dana’s body as Daly’s. Bedding in which Dana’s body was wrapped came from Daly’s and Dana’s 8 Rocky Brook Drive residence, Bucci said.
Her body was discovered the afternoon of June 24 wrapped up and stuffed in a cardboard box over an embankment behind her home.
“The body was in the box of the pool they just bought for the kids about a week ago,” said Zuccala.
Dana and Daly entertained friends Friday night and, according to First Assistant Northwestern District Attorney Steven E. Gagne, friends at the gathering recalled the couple fighting and the mood was tense when the party broke up.
Zuccala said there were friends and family at the Rocky Brook Drive home Sunday aiding the search and it was actually two of Dana’s friends who discovered her body.
“Everyone said Jeb was acting nervous whenever people went near where they found Jess’s body,” said Zuccala. “While they were outside searching, he fled. There was one detective in the house with him, but he didn’t know there was another way for him to get out of the house.”
A manhunt ensued and Daly was apprehended by police at approximately 9 p.m. on Sunday, June 24.
Daly is scheduled for a pre-trial conference on July 27.
Zuccala said both families are caring for the children.
“Right now, we are focusing on the kids,” she said.
Two funds have been established for Dana and her children, including the Jessica Dana’s Children’s Fund at United Bank, and the Jessica Dana Memorial Fund at Westfield Bank. Donations can be made to any branch of both banks.
