On a Saturday in November 2023, the body of 26-year-old Neko Rayton was found in a bathtub at an apartment in Utica, New York, after a downstairs neighbor reported what appeared to be blood leaking from the ceiling. Officers who went upstairs encountered 25-year-old Colton Shaffer covered in blood; he locked the door and was taken into custody. Inside the apartment, investigators observed a large amount of blood and signs something had been dragged through the dwelling before finding Rayton’s body in the tub.

An autopsy showed Rayton had been shot multiple times and stabbed repeatedly. A criminal complaint later specified two gunshot wounds to the head and numerous stab wounds to the torso, face, and neck. Shaffer was charged with second-degree murder and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon; he and Rayton were described as associates and Shaffer declined to speak about a motive. Rayton, born August 27, 1997, was a father of four sons and one daughter, enjoyed basketball and making music, and was affiliated with Rucker’s Grove Baptist Church in Hartwell, Georgia.

If anyone knew Neko, his routines, or anything about his last days, please share what you know with investigators.