SCIO, N.Y. — In a New York State Police barracks in Batavia, there are two investigators, with two boxes of files, hoping to solve a seven-year-old mystery.
“I’ve been in the bureau of criminal investigation since 2004 and this is the only case I've ever seen or heard of like this," said NYSP Sr. Investigator Daniel Howard.
The crime was a homicide which occurred inside a farmhouse at 4849 Wadsworth Hill Road in the Allegany County town of Ward on what investigators believe was the night of July 1, 2017.
Crime Stoppers has just increased, by $10,000, the reward for information leading to an arrest or indictment of the person(s) responsible to up to $12,500.
The victim was Raymond Cornelius, 82, a widower and retired factory worker who lived alone.
According to police, he was last observed at about 5:30 p.m. July 1, which was a Saturday, mowing his lawn before his body was discovered inside the home by a relative on Monday July 3.
"Why would anyone do this?"
“For the life of me I can’t understand it,” said JoAnn White, Cornelius’ stepdaughter.
White said her stepfather rarely ventured from his 120-acre spread along a dirt road in the rolling Allegany foothills where he enjoyed living out his golden years.
"He liked his farm. He liked his garden ... that was his quiet place, and he loved it, so I can't think of anyone who would do what they did,” she said.
According to White, her stepbrother Reg Cornelius would check in on his father every day.
“Reggie called him every day because Ray lived alone since my mother died. And the one day (July 2) he was not able to reach him, and then the second day (July 3) he still wasn't able to reach him. So that's when he contacted me. And my husband went up to see if Ray was OK, and he was not."
Shot through a window
"Mr. Cornelius was shot in the back inside of his residence. And the person who took the shot was outside of his residence and actually shot him through a window.” said Inv. Howard.
From the clues they have police believe this occurred sometime after dark on the night of July 1.
The way the windowpane was completely shattered by a shotgun slug also tells them this was not a stray shot fired from afar.
In addition, Howard notes the slope of the yard also provides a clue that the shot was fired from close range.
“There's a steep fall away from the residence as it goes toward the road. And basically, anybody over five foot six or five foot seven would have had to been within two or three feet of the house in order to see Mr. Cornelius and make that shot," he said.
According to Howard the amount of forensic evidence at the scene was “very limited”.
There was no shell casing recovered, no DNA, and nothing taken from the home.
“By the time we processed the scene, it was apparent to us that no one had entered the residence," Howard said.
Among their files are the results of polygraph tests given to relatives, including JoAnn White and Reg Cornelius, and a logbook which indicates close to 300 leads have now been followed including some from as far away as Texas, North Dakota, Virginia and South Carolina.
However, after seven years, investigators claim they are no closer to solving the case.
Hoping to bring closure
"Now we're almost seven years from this, and they still, to my knowledge don't know who killed Ray,” said White. “And it's very frustrating."
“I think anybody could just think how awful it would be to be in that situation,” said NYSP Investigator Eric Tavernier. “So, we were hoping that somebody can come forward with some information to help us."
Both police and his family believe Ray Cornelius was purposely gunned down. But according to both, outside of occasional squabbles with hunters or neighbors trespassing on his land, he had no serious disputes with anyone.
“Certainly nothing that would rise to this level,” Howard said.
Both investigators concur it’s hard to make sense of something that makes no sense at all.
It makes no sense, according to Howard, “because of the lack of an entry to a home. There was nothing stolen. There was no beef. There was no gain. Nobody gained anything from the death. There were no major financial wins. There was there was nothing …and you just don't see a random act like this very often and again…never in my career.”
Seeking help to solve the case
While the area is so remote that there may not have been many people who may have heard or seen something, the time of year when the homicide occurred gives investigators some hope.
“It was Fourth of July weekend,” noted Howard. “It was an area with camps and private properties that people go down to, to vacation at that time of year."
“What we’re hoping is that the person who pulled the trigger had said something to someone at some time or somebody heard something from somebody who hear something from that person...and they can tell us who told them that or, or what anything about it might be just what we need," said Tavernier.
"I think that's probably the big thing,” said White. “What I want to know is who did this, and I know Reg feels the same way."
Unsolved...for now
About halfway between White’s home in Scio and her stepfather’s house is Fairlawn Cemetery where Ray Cornelius is buried next to his wife near some pine trees, in valley below the hills where he lived and where he died.
“He was fairly healthy, and he probably could have lived a few more years or a lot more years. And they took him. And that's what bothers me that someone would just do this," White said
“It's our belief that somebody out there knows something,” said Tavernier. “Somebody heard something, somebody was told something maybe they didn't believe it at the time...but we’re them to take themselves back to a time of Fourth of July weekend in2017 in a little town of Ward in Allegany County where this man was killed."
“Any little tip could be the one that brings us to the resolution in finding the perpetrator and ultimately making the arrest and being able to tell the family what happened and why,” said Howard. “That's the help that we're really begging for."
If you have any information regarding the homicide of 82 year old Raymond Cornelius which occurred on or around July 1, 2017 at his home at 4849 Wadsworth Hill Road in the Allegany County town of Ward, please contact Crimestoppers WNY at (716) 867-6161
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