'Pretty alarming.' People in Harbor Point react to suspicious death investigation by Stamford police

EMS responded to the path that connects Woodland Avenue and Walter Wheeler Drive where they found a man lying on his back in the grass.

Marissa Alter

Oct 19, 2023, 11:43 PM

Updated 323 days ago

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As Stamford police continue to investigate the "suspicious" death of a 20-year-old man found along a popular path in Harbor Point, neighbors there called it "shocking," "scary" and "alarming."
Harbor Point is a popular place to live in Stamford with high-end apartment buildings, restaurants, and the waterfront.
"It's a very young vibrant neighborhood," said Susannah Ferrer.
"You see a lot of strollers and dogs around, I would say," John Sullivan stated.
"You can walk safe over here in the night," Stella Sebero told News 12.
But a pending police investigation has some people re-thinking that sentiment.
Police said a 911 call came in around 2 a.m. Wednesday reporting a person in need of medical help. EMS responded to the path that connects Woodland Avenue and Walter Wheeler Drive where they found a man lying on his back in the grass. Medics declared him dead and called in police for a possible crime scene.
Sebero said when she left for work around 6:30 a.m., she saw one police car blocking the road right by here building and several others on the other end of the path. Sebero said she initially assumed it was a car crash and never imagined it would be a death investigation.
Investigators were still out there at 8:15 a.m. when Ferrer took her morning walk.
"They just had a small section of the path blocked off with caution tape, and then there were what looked like police officers, and then a pretty big bus, like crime bus," Ferrer recalled.
On Thursday morning, it was evident why police deemed the death suspicious—a large amount of blood was still in the grass with blood spatter along the fence.
"It's pretty alarming. I mean, I'm someone who lives in the section of buildings over there, and this path is really the only way to get from the two sections of Harbor Point," said Ferrer.
"I'm coming here all the time, and you know, it's kind of shocking. It's always pretty quiet around here, especially on the weeknights," Sullivan added.
"This is a surprise over here," stated Sebero.
The path has string lights and streetlamps for when the sun goes down, so it should never be dark. But the women News 12 spoke with said after this incident, they won't walk there alone at night.
"Now it's a little scary," Sebero said.
"It's someplace I really haven't had to think twice about, and now you definitely do," explained Ferrer.
Police have not released the victim's name yet, and autopsy results are pending. Police are asking anyone with information on this investigation to contact Sgt. Jennifer Lynch at 203-977-4417. The public can also submit a confidential text tip by texting the word StamfordPD and the tip information to 847411 (tip411).