Person Of Interest In Upper East Side Murder Had Already Been Picked Up For Unrelated Crime
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police they have found a person of interest in the murder of a man found dead in his Upper East Side apartment.
As CBS2's Scott Rapoport reported, that person is a 60-year-old man currently in custody in Indiana on an unrelated charge.
The man is being eyed in the murder of Christopher Cooley in mid-March.
Cooley was being treated for cancer, but was found dead inside of his posh Upper East Side building. His body was badly decomposed, and the coroner ruled it a homicide.
It turns out the person of interest was arrested by the NYPD the day Cooley's body was found, but the arrest was for an unrelated charge.
The man was picked up at the request of Indiana authorities who wanted him for an unspecified financial swindle. He was taken into custody and extradited back to Indiana.
During their investigation the NYPD found the man's fingerprints inside of Cooley's apartment.
Cops said they believe the Indiana man also suffered from cancer, befriended Cooley during treatments, and may have been stealing money from him.
The person of interest has not been charged with Cooley's murder, but remains in jail in Indiana as the NYPD builds its case.