New York man charged with murder after neighbor reports blood leaking from ceiling, police say

NEW YORK (TND) — A New York man was charged with murder after police received a call about “possible blood leaking from the ceiling” of an apartment, according to authorities.

The Utica Police Department on Sunday said officers confirmed “it was in fact blood” that was dripping from a neighbor’s ceiling to the floor.

Police said officers visited the apartment where the blood was dripping and a man who was “covered in blood” answered the door.

He immediately locked the door behind him and walked to the officers where he was promptly detained due to the nature of the call,” police noted in a news release posted on social media.

Authorities identified the man as 25-year-old Colton Shaffer, of Utica. Police said Shaffer is facing the following charges:

• Second-degree murder
• Second-degree criminal possession of a weapon
• Third-degree criminal possession of weapon

Police said officers went inside Shaffer’s apartment to conduct a safety check.

“Immediately upon entering, they located a large pool of blood, and what appeared to be an area where something had been dragged throughout the apartment,” the release noted.

Police said officers then followed the apparent blood trail, which led to the bathroom. There, police said officers found a dead man in the bathtub.

“The Utica Fire Department arrived on scene and ultimately pronounced the male deceased,” police noted, adding that the man had been shot several times, stabbed multiple times, and suffered other injuries.

Police said the man is not being identified until his family is notified.

The case remains under investigation, authorities said.