A woman and her young son were discovered dead inside their Cheektowaga home Thursday evening. The man who had a relationship with the mother is charged with two counts of second-degree murder.
Cheektowaga Police found the bodies of Raina Voll, 30, and Leo Klinger, 7, in a residence at Kingswood Apartments on French Road around 6 p.m. Thursday. They were drawn to the scene after discovering an abandoned 2-year-old toddler at a nearby church.
"Yesterday at about 2:45, we received a call that there was an abandoned baby in a stroller at the church at the corner of Union Road and Losson Road," says Assistant Police Chief James Speyer.
The toddler, according to Speyer, is also the son of Voll and is in the custody of his biological father, who is also the father of Leo Klinger.
The child, Speyer said, did not speak. While he would not explain how officers were able to determine the child's address, Speyer says through "police work" officers came to 1331 French road, where they discovered the victims.
Shane Stevenson, 31, was arrested and arraigned in town court Friday morning on the two murder charges. He pleaded not guilty and was remanded without bail to the Erie County Holding Center. Police say Stevenson lived at the same address as Voll and was in a relationship with her.
"This was obviously some sort of a domestic situation," Speyer said. "The public is not to be alarmed, or at harm or in danger. We're not looking for anyone else. We have the individual responsible for this in custody."
Cheektowaga Police are working with the Erie County District Attorney's office on the investigation. Speyer would share other details about the ongoing case, including the cause of the victims' deaths nor how the 2-year-old was brought to the church.
"Any details of what actually physically happened, I will not be able to reveal today," he said. "It's because of the integrity. We want to make sure this is investigated properly and that it's prosecuted properly."
A GoFundMe campaign has been established to raise money to support the victims' family with any expenses related to the tragedy.
