Authorities say the death of a Farmington man found at a Geneva motel over the weekend has officially been ruled a homicide.
According to an update Tuesday from the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office, the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office determined the cause of death for 37-year-old Emmanuel Richelieu to be “multiple sharp force injuries.”
The case remains under investigation, and no additional information has been released.
Authorities say Richelieu was reported missing last Friday. Investigators later used cell phone tracking to locate him at the America’s Best Value Inn on Routes 5 and 20. After searching the property, a K-9 alerted to a room where Richelieu was found dead. Officials say he suffered multiple traumatic injuries.
Ontario County Sheriff David Cirencione said it appears Richelieu may have already been dead at the time he was reported missing. Investigators are still working to determine why he was at the motel.
The room where Richelieu’s body was found was registered to 29-year-old Julius Ware IV. Ware, who was released from prison on April 9th, was placed at the motel by New York State Probation. He was arrested Sunday and charged with second-degree murder. Officials say a tip from the public helped deputies locate Ware just before his arrest.
The charge is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
