4 Bodies In Troy, New York, Basement Apartment Lead To Homicide Suspicion

Police launched an investigation after four people were found dead in the basement of an upstate New York home Tuesday in what is considered a quadruple homicide.

The four bodies were discovered by a property manager in the apartment just after noon, according to the Albany Times Union. The police received a call about several unconscious people in a Troy apartment building around the same time, Troy Police Capt. Daniel DeWolf said.

No information about the identities or ages of the victims was given by the officer. DeWolf further said the deaths were being treated as homicides and added he did not know for how long the bodies were at the scene before they were found. Police believe all the four were residents of the apartment, DeWolf told CBS affiliate WRGB.

"There are four dead people, and we're looking at it that way until something changes our mind, we're looking at it as a homicide," DeWolf said.

"It's horrible, it's horrible for the families, it's horrible for Troy," he added.

DeWolf also did not reveal if any weapons were found at the scene and said the circumstances in which they were found dead appeared to be suspicious. "It's certainly suspicious, and right now it's being investigated as a homicide,” he said.

Meanwhile, neighbors said they were scared after the incident. "Very scared, until they find who did it and what their reason was, I don't think anybody around here can be safe," said Jason Fenton, who lived across the street to the apartment.

Some said the Lansingburgh neighborhood, which ran along the Hudson River, was mostly quiet. Another neighbor, Shakeria Jones, told Times Union that one of the victims could be her friend.

"She lives in the basement apartment," said Jones. "I've been calling her all day. She always answers but she hasn't. I'm worried it's her. I hope it's not her."

Jones also said her friend didn't have issues with anyone. "If it is her, I don't know who could have done it," she said.

A third unnamed neighbor said the basement apartment was most recently occupied by a woman, her two children, aged 8 and 11, and her partner. The neighbors further added that they prayed the family was not harmed in anyway.

"It's horrible. Terrible. Sad — sad especially at this time of year," DeWolf said. "We're going to do everything we can to look into this and get to the bottom of what happened here."

State police were assisting in the investigation and sent criminal investigators, evidence technicians and computer crime specialists to help city police, the Times Union reported. Investigators were combing the scene Tuesday evening and police reached out to the family members of the victims.

"Things are unfolding right now," State Police Lt. Rob Appleton of Troop G Bureau of Criminal Investigation said.