Elmira police release names of victims of 2 recent homicides in the city
In the wake of a violent weekend in Elmira and Chemung County, police have released the names of two people being investigated as homicide victims.
Around 11:15 a.m. Friday, Elmira police officers responded to a residence on West Third Street for a report of a man down with blood on him. Officers located the victim, who was already dead, police said.
Elmira police on Tuesday identified the victim as Willie James Davis, 56, of Elmira. Police have not offered any information about how Davis was killed, and at this time have not publicly identified any suspects in his killing.
On Saturday, police were called to a parking lot at 201 W. Miller St. on Elmira's Southside for a report of gunshots.
Officers located a shooting victim on the driver's side of the vehicle. That person was transported to Arnot Ogden Medical Center for treatment, but later died, police said.
Police Tuesday identified the victim as 34-year-old Jeremy J. Shazer, of Elmira.
Later in the day, investigators identified Shamel T. Swan, 29, of Elmira, as a suspect in Shazer's death and obtained an arrest warrant for a charge of second-degree murder.
Investigators also determined Swan was in the Sayre-Athens area and worked in conjunction with several Bradford County law enforcement agencies to track him down.
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Police took Swan into custody Saturday, and he was arraigned in District Court and sent to the Bradford County Correctional Facility in lieu of $1 million bail to await extradition back to New York.
The violence wasn't confined to the City of Elmira.
Also on Friday, deputies from the Chemung County Sheriff's Office responded to Burkeshire Drive in the Town of Big Flats for a 911 report of a person who has been stabbed.
Deputies located a man who had been stabbed multiple times in the upper chest and arm. The victim, identified Tuesday as Joseph W. Hartford, 29, of Big Flats, was rushed to Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, where he underwent emergency surgery.
He was later moved out of the intensive care unit to a private room and is now listed in stable condition, according to Sheriff Bill Schrom.
Investigators charged Theodore C. Swan, 34, of Burkeshire Drive, with second-degree attempted murder in connection with that incident. After several interviews, no motive has been established.
Theodore Swan is not related to Shamel Swan, Schrom said.
Swan was arraigned at Town of Big Flats Court and sent to the Chemung County Jail in lieu of $250,000 cash bail.
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This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Elmira police identify 2 murder victims in recent homicides
