In the small community of Sanborn, New York, a tragedy unfolded on Valentine's Day of 2026, forever altering the lives of a local family. On that Saturday, February 14th, 35-year-old Alexis Skoczylas was found deceased inside her Buffalo Street home. Concerned for her well-being, officers from the Lewiston Police Department had been dispatched to conduct a welfare check at the residence at approximately 5:14 p.m. Upon their arrival, they made the grim discovery of Ms.
Skoczylas's body.
The investigation into the untimely death of the mother of two quickly focused on a person of interest close to her. Within less than 12 hours of finding Ms. Skoczylas, an arrest was made. The suspect was identified as her 53-year-old husband, Lance Woods, an off-duty Buffalo Police officer who had been with the department since 2008 and was serving as a school resource officer. It was a case that officials would later describe as being investigated as a domestic violence incident.
The narrative that emerged painted a picture of a fractured marriage. Court records indicated that Alexis Skoczylas had filed for divorce from Lance Woods in September of the previous year. Despite the legal proceedings, the couple and their two children were still living together in the Sanborn home at the time of the incident. Tragically, it was reported that the children were present in the house when their mother was killed by a single gunshot to the head. Investigators have stated that Woods used his personal firearm in the commission of the crime, not his service weapon.
Following a collaborative effort between the Lewiston and Buffalo Police Departments, Lance Woods was apprehended during a traffic stop by Amherst Police in the early hours of Sunday morning. He was subsequently arrested and charged with one count of second-degree murder. Due to the involvement of a police officer, the New York State Attorney General's Office of Special Investigation has taken over the case, a standard procedure under state law. Woods was arraigned and remanded into custody at the Niagara County Jail to await further legal proceedings. In a later court appearance, which he waived his right to attend, a judge allowed the case against him to move forward.
