SYRACUSE -- Syracuse Police will hold a news conference this morning to talk about two homicides over the weekend, including the death of 69 year old Pleamon Fletcher.
Neighbors on Maplewood Avenue in Syracuse were surprised to see police activity on their street Sunday. They say it's a quiet area where most people have lived in their homes for years.
Sharon Kennedy describes it as "totally quiet, totally peaceful. Kids riding up and down on bikes. That's about it."
Kennedy has lived on Maplewood Avenue since 1944. She and her neighbors say its always been a peaceful place to live. Neighbor Judy Porter said, "It's usually a very quiet neighborhood. Most people have been here for years. Actually we're kind of new and we've been here 5 years."
But Saturday night, police discovered Pleamon Fletcher, 69, dead in his house. At first, police thought it was suspicious. They're now investigating it as a homicide.
Porter said, "This is not normal for here. I don't know how to put it. It's a little scary for everybody that lives here because we're not accustomed to this type of a crime."
People in the neighborhood say they're in disbelief. They say they just saw Fletcher a few days ago and he was friendly and outgoing as usual. Kennedy said, "He was a good man, a Christian man, a firm believer in his faith. He took care of his family and I think they came to take care of him."
Most of the neighbors say they still believe their neighborhood is safe, but they would like some answers.
Police will be releasing more information at a press conference Monday morning. Stay with CNYcentral.com.
EARLIER VERSION:
Syracuse police have ruled the suspicious death of an elderly man a homicide.
Police say they found 69-year-old Pleamon Fletcher dead inside his home at 116 Maplewood Avenue around 10 p.m. last night.
They had gone to check on the elderly man because he had not been seen recently.
Police say the circumstances around the death appeared suspicious in nature when they arrived.
Police continue to investigate and urge anyone with information to call them at 442-5222.
