Murder in the Spa City: One Dead after West Ave Fight
Kyle Baker has been arrested and charged with 2nd degree murder after he allegedly stabbed John “Clay” Williamson to death during a fight. (Courtesy of SSPD)
One man is dead, and another has been charged with murder after a fight in Saratoga Springs.
John C. “Clay” Williamson Jr., 44, died on the morning of Tuesday, April 14, after a fight on West Ave near Station Lane. Saratoga Springs Police say the call came in around 7:30, and officers were on scene within two minutes of being dispatched.
Police found Williamson going in and out of consciousness and bleeding from several stab wounds. He was transported to Saratoga Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police said he had been living in a wooded area near where the incident took place.
During the initial investigation, West Ave was closed between Church Street and Washington Street. SSPD said that witnesses called 911 quickly, allowing officers to identify and locate others involved in the incident who cooperated with the investigation.
Another homeless man, Kyle D. Baker, 52, was arrested following the incident and charged with 2nd degree murder. Police allege that Baker stabbed Williamson to death during the fight. Baker was arraigned in the Saratoga City Court and remanded to the custody of the Saratoga County Correctional Facility without bail. As of the time of publication, he is set to appear in court on April 16 at 9:45 a.m.
While Baker has ties to Corinth, he had been living in a wooded area on West Ave at the time of the incident, according to SSPD.
This is not Baker’s first time being arrested in Saratoga County. In June 2020, he was arrested by the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office after he fired a gun at residences on Hollow Road in the Town of Day as he drove by. A press release issued at the time of the arrest said the homes were occupied. At the time of that incident, he was listed as living in Warrensburg.
In 2021, Baker pleaded guilty to a 2nd-degree felony attempted criminal mischief. He began his sentence in April 2022 and spent nearly a year at the Marcy Correctional Facility before being paroled in March 2023. His parole expired in April 2024, according to records from the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. Baker’s only other felony conviction came in 2012, when he pleaded guilty to Grand Larceny in Warren County Court, according to court records.
The investigation into the alleged murder is ongoing. SSPD has requested that anyone who may have witnessed or recorded the incident contact them at (518) 584-8477 (TIPS) or by e-mail at tips@saratogapolice.org. Specific areas of interest to police include the Stewart’s Shop at 87 West Avenue, Station Lane, the American Legion at 34 West Avenue, and West Avenue between Station Lane and Washington Street.
The Saratoga Springs Police were aided by the New York State Police in securing the crime scene and interviewing witnesses, and the investigation is being done in coordination with the Saratoga County District Attorney’s Office.
Homicides aren’t common in Saratoga Springs or Saratoga County. In 2024, only three homicides occurred countywide, according to state data. The last reported homicide in Saratoga Springs occurred in April 2025 after an individual accidentally killed his roommate with a pellet gun. It was the only reported homicide handled by the SSPD, according to their annual report.