Police Looking For Missing Man Find Him Dead With Another In LI Home

SELDEN, NY — Officers investigating a report of a missing person found two people shot to death inside a Selden home on Tuesday night, Suffolk police said.

Police from the 4th Precinct made the discovery while responding to a home on Hollywood Avenue around 10:45 p.m., according to a news release.

Ian Saalfield, a 45-year-old Lake Grove resident who had been reported missing by his wife on April 26, and the homeowner, 58-year-old Robert Julian, were pronounced dead at the scene by a physician assistant from the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner, police said.

Investigators do not believe the shootings are a murder-suicide and are examining whether a "drug trade" was involved, Det. Lt. Kevin Beyrer, commanding officer of Suffolk's homicide squad told Newsday.

"Right now, we don't know the relationship between the two men," Beyrer told the outlet. "We believe they're friends of some sort ... This does not appear to be a murder-suicide."

Neighbors expressed disbelief at the shootings.

Tommy Cobb told News 12: "I knew him, he was my neighbor, very friendly, says hello to my daughter, waves every time I see him. Very polite, very friendly. Like I said, this is just a random and awkward situation. He's a nice guy, I would never expect this."

Detectives asked anyone with information to call the Homicide Squad at 631-852-6392 or Crime Stoppers, a confidential police hotline, at 1-800-220-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential, according to police.