A family of four was found dead, all seemingly stabbed to death inside the fourth-floor unit of an apartment building on the Upper West Side, police said Monday.
The tragic scene discovered inside an apartment on West 86th Street between Riverside Drive and West End Avenue around 3 p.m. Monday, police said. Police were called to the building to help perform a wellness check on the family inside.
After gaining entry to the apartment, officials found a man, a woman and two young boys. Law enforcement sources and residents of the building say the 41-year-old man and 40-year-old are parents to the 1-year-old and 3-year-old boys.
The father worked at the building as its super, according to neighbors. In fact, many say they knew him for years and grew up in the building before taking over the post from his father.
Investigators say the super's father had not heard from the family since Sunday morning. After attempting to drill into the door of the apartment, two senior officials said he could see signs of a crime scene and that's when he contacted police.
Three knives were recovered at the scene, law enforcement sources said. It was unclear if police had anyone in custody in connection with the deaths. It appeared that it may have been a result of a murder-suicide, sources told News 4.
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Residents were shocked to hear about the death of a man they had come to know for many years. One woman said the 41-year-old man had recently accepted a new job at a building in Westchester and planned to move his family.
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"He kept things in check, he was reliable, as a super. I'm telling you, we all really liked him," neighbor Jeff Kimmel said.
The building remained an active crime scene late Monday as detectives and the city's medical examiner continued their inspection of the apartment. The official cause of deaths in the case have not been determined.
