By Rebecca Henely
Police were on the lookout for an individual in connection with a homicide that left a 62-year-old man lying strangled in the bathtub of his Woodside apartment, authorities said.
Wayne Graves, 62, was found dead by NYPD officers Oct. 19 at his apartment in Berkeley Co-op Towers Section II Corp., at 52-40 39th Drive, after police responded to a call about an unconscious male, police said. Officers found Graves lying in the bathtub with trauma to his head, police said.
EMS workers then arrived and pronounced Graves dead at the scene, police said.
While officers on the scene said they did not believe Graves’ death was a homicide, the NYPD requested information the next day involving a man they wanted to question about the incident. Police described him as a black man about 30 to 40 years old and standing 5 feet 9 inches to 6 feet tall with a medium-sized build.
No arrests had been made as of Tuesday evening press time.
A spokeswoman from the medical examiner’s office said Graves died of compression of the neck. She said she could not discuss the head injury or anything else beyond the cause of death.
Residents of Berkley interviewed by TimesLedger Newspapers either declined comment or said they knew nothing of Graves’ death.
Graves’ family could not be located.
Those with information should contact NYPD’s Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting nypdcrimestoppers.com or texting 274637 (CRIMES) and then entering TIP577.
Reach reporter Rebecca Henely by e-mail at rhenely@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4564.
