Death of Tompkins County Man Labelled as “Suspicious”

The death of a 71-year-old man found inside of his Tompkins County home has been labeled suspicious by police.

Deputies were called to a home in Lansing on March 5th for a reported cardiac arrest. When they arrived, they found Joseph West dead. The death was reported as unattended. The sheriff’s office says because of its ongoing investigation and analysis of available evidence, they’ve determined the circumstances surrounding West’s death are suspicious.

The Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office has been assisted in the investigation by the New York State Police, the Ithaca City Police Department, the Tompkins County DA’s Office, and the Tompkins County Medical Examiner’s Office.