Fort Erie man among victims in Buffalo double homicide

Brent Jones
March 9, 2025 at 9:53 AM

A man who grew up in Fort Erie was one of two males found dead inside a Buffalo home earlier this week in what police have classified as a double homicide.

Jordan Celotto, 37, originally from Fort Erie, and his partner, Michael Harmon, 40, were discovered in their residence on St. Louis Place on March 4. The Erie County Medical Examiner determined that both men died from blunt force trauma.

Buffalo police arrested a 34-year-old in connection with the killings.

According to a news release from the Buffalo Police Department, officers responded to a call on Tuesday about a man with a knife outside the residence. When they arrived, they found the man, who began injuring himself before complying with officers’ orders to drop the weapon.

He was taken to the Erie County Medical Center under police supervision and was arrested upon his release from the hospital on Friday.

The accused, who has no fixed address, has been charged with one count of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder under New York state law.

Celotto was a member of the Onondaga Beaver family from Six Nations of the Grand River and was deeply connected to his Indigenous heritage, according to a report from the Toronto Star. He moved to Toronto in 2006 to pursue his education and was an intern at Toronto City Hall while studying at Humber College.

Celotto later relocated to Buffalo, where he and Harmon were active members of the local arts and LGBTQ+ communities.

At a news conference earlier this week, Buffalo officials stated that there is no indication the crime was a hate-motivated attack, though they have not ruled out any possibilities as the investigation continues.

Buffalo police say key pieces of evidence have been recovered and they continue to investigate.