The small, sleepy town of Narrowsburg, New York, a rustic hideaway nestled in the woods where dairy farms once thrived and second homes now dot the landscape, became the stage for a chilling betrayal that ended in flames. Catherine Novak, a devoted mother and volunteer who gave her time to the church and the local school, was found dead in the basement of her burning farmhouse on a cold December morning in 2008. The fire ravaged the home, but the cause of death was not smoke inhalation—it was murder.
Her estranged husband, Paul Novak, a former emergency medical technician, had allegedly killed her to cover up an 𝒶𝒻𝒻𝒶𝒾𝓇 with a younger trainee, Michelle LaFrance. And it was that same mistress who, years later, would reveal the secret that shattered the case.
The discovery of Catherine’s body sent shockwaves through this close-knit community. Neighbors had watched the family move upstate from the bustle of New York City seeking peace. Catherine was the kind of mother who donated time to classrooms, watched other people’s children, and never complained about her husband’s long absences.
But the strain of a marriage split between city adrenaline and country quiet had torn them apart. Paul Novak, who worked as an EMT in the city, had begun an 𝒶𝒻𝒻𝒶𝒾𝓇 with Michelle LaFrance, a younger trainee with a troubled past. When Catherine learned of the relationship, she tried to make the best of it for her children.
She even took Michelle to lunch at the local diner, hoping to ensure the woman was capable of caring for her kids during custody switches.
That serene facade crumbled on the night of December 17, 2008. Catherine’s home was fully engulfed in flames by 6:30 a. m.
Firefighters arrived too late; the structure collapsed into the basement. Inside, they found Catherine’s body, severely burned, lying on her back. But the position was wrong for a fire victim.
She had no smoke in her lungs, no lethal carbon monoxide levels. Instead, three dislocated ribs and internal bleeding revealed she had been brutally assaulted before the fire started. The family dog was found locked in a kennel, dead from smoke inhalation.
Catherine had died before the flames ever touched her.
The investigation initially pointed to her husband. Paul Novak had a motive—he had told Catherine he didn’t love her, wanted out of the marriage, and had moved in with Michelle. But he had an ironclad alibi: his girlfriend vouched for him, saying he was with her in Queens, two hours away, at the time of the fire.
He passed a polygraph test. The case went cold. We were up against the wall, investigators later recalled.
Without other suspects, the death of Catherine Novak seemed destined to remain a mystery.
Then came the insurance payout. Less than a year after the fire, Paul Novak collected $300,000 for the house and $500,000 for Catherine’s life insurance. He used the money to move to Florida with Michelle LaFrance and the two children, leaving behind the grieving community and the charred plot of land where the family home once stood.
The case faded until a phone call in April 2012 changed everything.
Michelle LaFrance, now jilted by Paul after he cheated on her via an online dating site, contacted New York State Police. Racked with guilt and fear, she recounted a harrowing tale. Paul had convinced her that Catherine was an abusive parent and that they needed to “save the kids.”
His plan, she said, was to chloroform Catherine, leave her unconscious, and burn the house down to simulate an accidental smoke inhalation death. But the chloroform didn’t work. Catherine fought back, and Paul ended up strangling her with her own sweatshirt while she screamed for her life.
He then set the fire to cover his tracks. I’m doing this for the kids, he allegedly told her as she died.
Michelle’s detailed account included dates, times, and a crucial new name: Scott Sherwood, another EMT and a man described as a gentle giant easily manipulated. Sherwood had driven Paul to Narrowsburg that night and waited in the truck. When Paul returned, he said only two words: It’s done.
Cops tracked down Sherwood, who confirmed the story, though his version differed slightly on the murder method. Both witnesses painted Paul Novak as a calculating killer with no conscience.
In 2014, Paul Novak was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. He refused to talk, invoking his right to a lawyer. At trial, his defense pointed fingers at Michelle and Scott, arguing they had motive.
But prosecutors produced damning evidence: a Walmart receipt for a hat and duct tape purchased near Catherine’s home on the morning of the fire, and a tollbooth pass from the route back to New York. The only person to gain financially from Catherine’s death was Paul, who collected nearly $800,000. The jury convicted him, and the judge imposed the maximum sentence: life in prison without parole.
Scott Sherwood pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and served just 18 months for his cooperation. Michelle LaFrance walked free, her testimony deemed essential for justice. The community of Narrowsburg remains haunted by the loss.
The plot where Catherine’s house once stood is now overgrown with wildflowers, a sad depression in the ground where a vibrant mother and her children once lived. Paul Novak appealed his conviction, but it was denied. Scott Sherwood is out of prison, but the memory of Catherine Novak—her smile, her volunteer work, her love for her children—endures as a painful reminder of a secret that took years to surface.