Scott E. Cleary, a 63-year-old male, passed away unexpectedly at his home in Chenango Forks, New York, on August 10, 2024. Initially, his death was deemed suspicious, prompting an investigation by the New York State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Troopers were first dispatched to his residence on Parsons Road shortly before 9 a.m. for a report of a man not breathing.
Upon investigation, the circumstances surrounding Cleary's death were determined to be a homicide. The investigation revealed that Matthew J. Lott, a 38-year-old acquaintance who lived with Cleary, was responsible for his death. Lott used a firearm to cause Cleary's death.
A short time after Cleary's body was discovered, law enforcement located Lott's body approximately a quarter-mile north of the residence, near a set of railroad tracks. The investigation concluded that Lott had died by suicide, also from a firearm. The case was subsequently ruled a murder-suicide, and authorities have stated that there is no ongoing threat to the community.
