Massachusetts Officials Confirm Identity Of Apartment Homicide Victim
GREENFIELD, Massachusetts — After a 42-year-old man was apprehended in New York state last week, authorities have now identified the victim of a homicide in Massachusetts.
District Attorney David Sullivan of Northwestern said that on Monday, April 22, Greenfield Police Department officers were called to an apartment on Chapman Street due to a “foul odor.”
Taaniel Herberger-Brown, 42, was named as the main suspect after authorities discovered a male body. The residence where the bones were discovered is allegedly occupied by Herberger-Brown, a previous renter.
Subsequently that evening, detectives from the district attorney’s office, along with Greenfield Police and Massachusetts State Police, visited Albany International Airport to speak with Herberger-Brown.
The Daily Hampshire Gazette claims that Herberg-Brown reported to authorities that a man had broken into his house and attempted to fight with him. Herberg-Brown said the victim’s “heart stopped” at the end of the altercation and that she thought the man was under the influence of drugs.
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Herberger-Brown was captured by the authorities overnight, and according to Sullivan, state police acquired a warrant for his arrest on Tuesday, April 23, on a murder accusation.
Herberg-Brown allegedly objected to being returned to Massachusetts. This month, he is scheduled to appear in Albany court for an extradition hearing.
Christopher Hairston, 35, who was last known to be in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, was named as the victim, according to Sullivan’s announcement on Friday, April 26. According to the authorities, Hairston’s cause of death will be ascertained by the chief medical examiner.
Hairston was described in his obituary as an “exceptional and naturally talented percussionist” with a “big, open heart, infectious laugh,” a “fun-loving spirit,” and a “deep understanding of rhythm and being ‘in the pocket,’ as he would say.”