Buffalo police charge man with murder after Six Nations man and partner killed in their home

Aura Carreño Rosas · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 12, 2025 2:32 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

Police successful Buffalo, N.Y., say a 34-year-old antheral has been charged with execution successful transportation to the sidesplitting of a Six Nations antheral and his partner last week. 

The couple, Jordan Celotto, 37, and Michael (Mickey) Harmon, 40, were recovered dormant successful their Allentown residence connected March 4 astatine astir 4:30 p.m, according to police. Buffalo's acting mayor, Christopher Scanlon, said the origin of decease was blunt unit trauma.

"As we've travel to realize, the quality of these crimes is genuinely horrific, the senseless and convulsive quality of them is thing that we cannot and volition not basal for present successful the City of Buffalo," Scanlon said during a March 7 press league announcing the charges.

A 34-year-old of nary fixed code was charged with 1 number of archetypal grade execution and 2 counts of 2nd grade murder, constabulary said. 

Man was attempting to interruption into different homes, constabulary say

The main of detectives for Buffalo police, Craig Macy, said astatine the news conference the antheral was not known to Celotto oregon Harmon.

Macy said the person was successful the neighbourhood for 45 minutes trying to participate different homes. "The fishy besides was recovered to beryllium trying to get into aggregate vehicles successful the aforesaid clip period," helium said.

Erie County territory lawyer Michael Keane said the person "unlawfully entered into the victims' home" that morning and struck them some successful the caput with a blunt object.

Scanlon added that based connected the constabulary investigation, the onslaught was not targeted oregon hate-motivated.

Celotto and Harmon were pronounced dormant astatine the scene.

Police said antecedently a person of the mates went implicit to the location aft 1 of the victims failed to amusement up for work. The person spotted idiosyncratic with a weapon and called 911. Officers who went to the country saw a antheral who they said chopped himself earlier dropping the knife.

The 34-year-old was taken to a adjacent infirmary for treatment. He was discharged connected Friday and charged.

"He faces a maximum condemnation of beingness without parole if convicted," said Keane, adding police are still investigating.

"I cognize this is simply a large nonaccomplishment to our assemblage and it's hard to marque consciousness of this tragic crime."

'A calamity we ne'er expected'

Celotto was a subordinate of the Onondaga Beaver household from Six Nations of the Grand River. 

Celotto's close friend Sophia Mafaje told CBC Hamilton past week that he grew up successful the Niagara Region and was deeply connected to his location assemblage successful Six Nations. He was "an astonishing artist" and "so loving," she said. 

Family person Heather La Forme acceptable up a GoFundMe leafage to assistance Celotto's household "with the unexpected costs … to get him location to Sour Springs Longhouse" successful Six Nations. 

Almost $59,000 US of the $70,000 goal had been raised arsenic of Wednesday morning.

Celotto's decease was "a calamity we ne'er expected nor prepared for," La Forme wrote connected the fundraising page.

Harmon besides had a GoFundMe leafage acceptable up for his ceremonial costs wherever it said helium would beryllium buried successful Buffalo.

The mates were beloved and good known successful the 2SLGBTQ+ and arts communities successful Buffalo.

Dozens of tributes were posted by radical successful the U.S. city, and beyond, last week, including the Pride Center of Western New York, the Buffalo-Niagara LGBTQ History Project, wherever Harmon was a committee member, and section café The Intersection.

"The interaction they had successful the queer assemblage is immeasurable. They simply made the Buffalo, and specifically the Allentown community, wherever they called home, a amended spot for everyone," the Pride Center wrote online.

A solemnisation of beingness for some Celotto and Harmon will beryllium held astatine the Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center successful Buffalo connected March 22.