Christopher Cooley, a kind-hearted widower on the Upper East Side, was discovered dead in his locked apartment, and police have identified a con man named Steve Garland as the murderer.
Christopher Cooley, 78, a wealthy widower known for his generous heart, resided in a New York City apartment filled with art, music, and priceless mementos from his travels across the world.
Cooley used to visit Europe regularly, as he owned a home in Venice, Italy. Cooley had undergone a kidney transplant six years ago in 2016.
Christopher made a friend in NYC hospital where he had gone for his kidney ailment.
NYC: Christopher Cooley New York Murder Dateline – What Happened?
Christopher Cooley was brutally murdered in his Upper East Side apartment. After Cooley’s sister contacted to voice her concern about not hearing from her brother, the building super made the tragic discovery on March 16, 2016.
Police interviewed neighbors and personnel of the building and collected evidence like fingerprints and blood on the broken lamp pieces at the crime scene.
According to cbsnews.com, detectives discovered a necktie looped around Cooley’s neck. His face was hidden behind a cushion. A glass light shattered on the floor was slammed against his head.
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A con-man named Steve Garland is believed to be the person behind the murder of Christopher Cooley. Christopher met Garland while in NYC hospital.
Garland was arrested in Indiana in 2016 for defrauding a woman for $84,000. He flew to New York City after being freed on a $20,000 bond, especially to the hospital where he was receiving treatment for sinus cancer.
Garland failed to show up for a court date in Indiana around the time of Cooley’s murder. On March 2, around 5 p.m., the NYPD arrested him on the Indiana warrant and took him to Rikers Island.
Garland had already been brought back to Indiana when cops arrived to bring him up in connection with the Cooley investigation. The task of extraditing him to New York City was difficult for cops.
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On March 2, police discovered Garland’s sneakers. They were tested in the lab, and the DNA found on them was identical to Cooley. Garland’s fingerprints matched those found on the murder scene glass fragments.
When the police went to interview Garland, he did not talk and asked for his lawyer. Investigators, on the other hand, had physical proof and motivation. They thought Cooley had figured out that Garland was deceiving him, and a fatal battle ensued.
According to an August 2017 New York Post story, Garland, 62, died of sepsis at the Plainfield Correctional Facility in Indiana before being extradited to New York.