Buffalo Police confirmed Sunday afternoon that an off-duty officer has been arrested and charged with murder, following the discovery of a woman’s body in Niagara County.
Lewiston Police say Alexis Skoczylas, 35, was found dead in a home in the hamlet of Sanborn late Saturday afternoon. They then contacted Buffalo Police to help them find the whereabouts of 53-year-old Lance Woods.
The Buffalo News reported that according to relatives of the victim, she and Woods were married with two children but Skoczylas had recently filed for divorce.
“At approximately 1 a.m. today, the Buffalo Police 911 Dispatch Lieutenant was contacted by the Lewiston Police Department in connection with a homicide in Niagara County. Lewiston Police were seeking the location of off-duty Buffalo Police Officer Lance Woods,” said Interim Police Commissioner Craig Macy in a written statement. “Buffalo Police detectives worked in coordination with Lewiston Police, sharing resources to support the apprehension of Woods, including using investigative resources to attempt to locate the vehicle Woods was believed to be driving. Woods has subsequently been arrested and charged with Murder.”
Woods was not on duty at the time of the homicide, investigators added.
Under New York State law, as with any death involving a police officer, the Attorney General’s Office has been notified. Macy says the Buffalo Police Internal Affairs division is also looking into the incident.