Awful New Details Revealed About The Murder Of An Upstate New York Family — And The Eerily Similar Unsolved Case 4 Years Ago
'The identity of the victims were just released.
Police are releasing new information about the horrific quadruple murder in Upstate New York the day after Christmas.
Shanta Myers, 36, her children, Shanise, 5 and Jeremiah, 11, were found dead in their home along with Myers' 22-year-old partner, Brandi Mells. Police say all four victims were found bound and their throats cut.
A property manager found their bodies after being asked to check on the welfare of the residents of the apartment, which is located in Troy. Police Chief John Tedesco said he doesn't believe the murders were a "random act."
"I don't think there's any doubt that a person who committed this crime is capable of anything," he said. "This will be a full-court press, if you will, until we bring someone to justice."
Myers' oldest son, Isaiah Smith, was away in Massachusetts when he learned about the death of his family.
"What happens if that was your family and you were the only one who survived," he asked. "I fell down to the ground right in the bathroom and cried, thinking 'Who would've done this?"
The homicide is eerily similar to another unsolved mass family killing that happened less than 15 miles away in 2014. Though authorities have not said that the cases are in anyway related, local media has pointed out the similarities.
Jin Feng Chen, 39, his wife, Hai Yan Li, 38, and their sons, Anthony, 10, and Eddy, 7, were repeatedly stabbed and bludgeoned with something similar to a hammer.
Police believe the Chen family was also targeted, but they have not been able to publicly identify a motive or a suspect in the case. However, some people suggested they were killed because the family was involved in an illegal operation that moved undocumented Chinese restaurant workers.
Others thought they were involved in gambling and had a debt to pay.
"They said they all died for no reason," Daisy Lie, a reporter for the World Journal, told the Times Union at the time. "We all know there is a much bigger story here and we pressed the family on it, but they wouldn't say more."
Police currently have no suspects in the quadruple murder that happened on Tuesday.
"Why?!? "Why?!? "Why?!? 3 of my cousins were murdered ... 2 were babies ... 5 and 11 years old!!" Tracey Coleman wrote about her family on Thursday. "How could you put a knife to them and cut their throats .... How?!? They were babies! Jesus, please take the pain and anger away ... please."
Emily Blackwood is an editor at YourTango who covers pop culture, true crime, dating, relationships and everything in between. Every Wednesday at 10:20 p.m. you can ask her any and all questions about self-love, dating, and relationships LIVE on YourTango’s Facebook page. You can follow her on Instagram (@blackw00d) and Twitter (@emztweetz).