August 8 2022
From Corning Police:
On the morning August 6, 2022, an autopsy was performed at Lourdes Hospital in Binghamton. As a result of that autopsy, the official cause of death of Keli Collins was ruled a “ligature strangulation homicide”.
The City of Corning Police Department, Steuben County Sheriff’s Office, and investigators from the New York State Police Major Crimes Unit continue to investigate the 8/4/2022 murder of Ms. Collins. Investigators continue to interview witnesses and process evidence that will go to the State Police Crime Lab in Albany.
“I would like to thank all the people that have come forward in this case and offered information. The alert friends and neighbors of Ms. Collins, who weren’t afraid to become involved, are the ones that made a difference. They “saw something and said something”. The rapid response of law enforcement and the involvement of concerned citizens is what gave us the ability to make an arrest as quickly as we did.” – Jeff Spaulding, Corning Police Chief
“I believe that the collaborative investigative effort of the Corning Police, Hornell Police, Steuben County Sheriff’s Office, and the New York State Police have given the District Attorney’s Office a very prosecutable case in which Mr. Heffner will undoubtedly be convicted for the murder of Keli Collins.” – Jeff Spaulding, Corning Police Chief
