Marylou Johnson

JAMESTOWN – New York State Police in Jamestown have announced an arrest connected to the discovery of a body in April in a rural area of the Town of Randolph, Cattaraugus County. 

Authorities say the State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) have arrested 73-year-old Marylou Johnson of Busti on charges of Manslaughter – 2^nd degree (class C felony), Vehicular Manslaughter – 2^nd degree (class D felony), Assault – 2^nd degree (class D felony), Driving While Intoxicated (class D felony), and Leaving the scene of an incident without reporting serious physical injury (class D felony).

On April 21, 2018, the State Police stationed out of Jamestown responded to Swanson Hill Road in the Town of Randolph, Cattaraugus County for a report of an unidentified deceased male who was discovered by a passing ATV rider. Further investigation revealed the victim to be Wilfredo Rodriguez-Colon, age 48, of Busti.

Police say the investigation of Rodriguez – Colon’s death included a detailed examination of the scene and interviews of the people who were with Colon when he was last seen. The interviews and evidence collected from the scene lead investigators to a vehicle that is alleged to have been involved in his death.

After further investigation and interviews were conducted, the case was presented to the Grand Jury in Cattaraugus County by the Cattaraugus County District Attorney’s Office. A warrant was then issued for the arrest of Johnson on September 19.

Johnson was arrested and processed at SP Jamestown. Johnson was scheduled to be arraigned in Cattaraugus County Court on Friday.

Wilfredo “Fred” Colon Rodriguez, Jr. (from Facebook)

JAMESTOWN – New York State Police have identified a body that was discovered in the Town of Randolph over the weekend.

According to an update from the New York State Police released early Monday night, the body that was discovered Saturday afternoon in Randolph has been identified as 48 year-old Wilfredo Rodriguez-Colon of Busti.

Police say Rodriguez-Colon’s body was discovered Saturday, April 21 at about 5:15 p.m. off of Swanson Hill Road in the Town of Randolph in nearby Cattaraugus County. Police say local residents discovered the body and called authorities.

According to a post on Facebook dated Sunday, April 22, the family of a man with the name “Wilfredo ‘Fred’ Colon Rodriguez Junior” of Lakewood (a village in the town of Busti) say he was last seen on April 15. Family members had reached out to the public to help find him. The name the police provided is not an identical match to the name of the individual as it is listed under his Facebook account, but his family has confirmed it was him.

Colon-Rodriguez’s body has been scheduled for an autopsy to determine the cause of death. State police say the Erie County Medical Examiners Office, along with the Cattaraugus County Coroner helped to identify the body. 

State police in Jamestown are also investigating the discovery of another body that was also found on Saturday, near Route 20 in Portland. An unidentified male body was discovered just before 3:30 p.m. by a passing motorist. No other details were provided, other than police saying the body is scheduled for an autopsy to determine the identity and the cause of death.

In a media release on Saturday, state police said both discoveries are being treated as ongoing investigations and wouldn’t provide any more information.

However, according to the Jamestown Post-Journal, state police have said there was “no reason to believe” the circumstances surrounding the two separate bodies are related.

Neither death is believed to be connected to the disappearance of 35-year-old Sean Carpenter, the Jamestown man last seen in the early morning hours of Wednesday, April 11 as he walked downtown on Pine Street between 2^nd and 1^st streets.

An extensive search for Carpenter has been underway since his disappearance, including an aerial search of the Chadakoin River on Friday.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Jamestown Police Department at 483-7537, or leave an anonymous tip at 483-TIPS (8477). Information can also be sent through the department’s 411 cellphone app.