Spouse of DoorDash shooter faces charges

Selina Nelson-Reilly, the wife of Chester Highway Superintendent John Reilly, faces criminal charges for allegedly deleting 17 videos from a smart doorbell camera following the shooting of a DoorDash driver outside the couple’s Chester home in May.

Nelson-Reilly, 45, was arraigned on an indictment in Orange County Court on Oct. 29, charged with hindering prosecution and 17 counts of tampering with physical evidence.

The day after the May 2 shooting, Nelson-Reilly, according to Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler, told state police she had no knowledge of the incident and then proceeded to delete the smart doorbell videos from a camera installed at the house. It is also alleged that she sent a text message to a friend saying she permanently deleted the videos.

“The investigation into the unjustified violence allegedly perpetrated in this case was stymied by this defendant’s alleged calculated actions to delete video footage of the crime,” Hoovler said in a Friday, Oct. 31 press release. “We will not be thwarted from our pursuit of justice by those who seek to undermine the efforts of law enforcement to uncover the truth. To the contrary, we will relentlessly follow evidence and the law to hold accountable those responsible for violent crime. We will continue to advocate on behalf of crime victims.”

By press time, it was unclear if Nelson-Reilly made a plea. Released on her own recognizance, she is due back in county court Jan. 5, 2026.

May shooting

It is alleged that John Reilly shot DoorDash driver Alpha Barry after Barry knocked on Reilly’s door the night of May 2 asking if Reilly had ordered food. With his cellphone battery dead, Barry was apparently lost and could not find the home to which he was supposed to deliver.

The specifics of what happened next are unclear, but ultimately Barry, 25, of Middletown, was shot in the abdomen. Hoovler’s office said the shooting was unprovoked while Reilly said his actions were warranted.

Barry’s family members said in August that he was awaiting major stomach surgery, was using a colostomy bag, and struggling mentally because of the incident.

Reilly, 48, pleaded not guilty to a 13-count indictment for second-degree attempted murder, assault with depraved indifference, and weapons offenses. He is next scheduled to appear in Orange County Court on Nov. 26.

Issue of missing video

In June, after doorbell camera footage of the incident was made public, John Reilly’s attorney cautioned that the entire encounter was not recorded by the camera and that if it had been, it would shed a different light on the matter.

“Several minutes of the incident were not recorded,” attorney Thomas Kenniff said. “You are looking at a motion-activated Ring doorbell camera that [stops recording] when the motion ceases. So, most of this encounter was never captured on video... The DA concedes that Mr. Barry is asking to get in my client’s home. Did anybody see that video? [No, because it doesn’t exist.] We know it happened because the prosecution conceded it. Everyone here has likely ordered a food delivery at some point or ordered something deliverable by an app. I would also hazard a guess that no one has ever encountered a situation in which the DoorDasher, or whatever food delivery person, has asked to enter their home.”

Kenniff contended that what took place during that unrecorded portion of the incident – such as Reilly’s 12-year-old daughter waking him up between 9 and 10 p.m. because an unknown person was knocking on the front door, Barry asking Reilly at his front door if he could charge his phone in Reilly’s house, and an argument between the two men – is key to understanding his client’s mindset and ensuing actions.