A 77-year-old man was found bound to a pole in the basement of his Bellerose, Queens, home and his 78-year-old wife was discovered dead elsewhere in the house after a suspicious fire, authorities said Monday. The New York Police Department has launched a manhunt and is treating the blaze as a homicide.
Officials said the fire broke out in the two-story house at 87-86 254th Street on Monday afternoon. Firefighters extinguished the blaze within about an hour. Surveillance footage released by the NYPD shows a man carrying what appeared to be a duffel bag walking near the property at approximately 3:30 p.m.; police described the suspect as a male between 30 and 40 years old, of medium build, last seen wearing a black hat, jacket and sneakers, and blue jeans.
Police identified the male victim only by age. Authorities did not immediately release the names of the couple or their cause of death. Local television stations reported that sources told them the woman may have been set on fire, but investigators have not publicly confirmed that detail. It remained unclear whether the suspect knew the victims or what his motive might have been.
Neighbors told reporters the couple had lived in the house for about 40 years. "The nicest neighbors you can ever ask for," one neighbor said, adding that the man had waved to neighbors as recently as the prior weekend. Another resident provided doorbell camera footage to police, but that video did not capture the fire itself.
Investigators are combing the scene and reviewing surveillance as part of the homicide inquiry. Police urged anyone with information or who recognizes the man in the released images to contact detectives. NYPD public information channels had not released additional details by midafternoon.
The incident comes as the city grapples with shifting crime trends. NYPD data cited by local outlets indicated a 400% week-to-date increase in homicide compared with the same week last year, with five deaths this week versus one in 2024; year-to-date homicides remained down nearly 20%, and total violent crime was reported as down about 4.5% compared with 2024.
Authorities continue to investigate the origin of the fire and the circumstances of the deaths. The NYPD has appealed to the public for tips and said it will provide updates when more information becomes available.