By Ivan Pereira
Police have not named a sister of a 58-year-old woman who was viciously stabbed to death Monday as a suspect in the killing, but neighbors said they were suspicious of the sibling.
Sharon Lee Hill was found mutilated in her sixth-floor apartment around 2:40 p.m., police said. A third sister who lived in Long Island came to visit the public housing project, found Hill’s door open and discovered the corpse, according to several neighbors.
The tenants who lived near the apartment said they were worried because they had heard a ruckus in Hill’s room the night before.
“Last night she was being assaulted and the police didn’t come,” said Tamaika Johnson, 21, who lives on the eighth floor of the building. “Today they came after they found her dead.”
Tenants said Hill had lived in the building with an unidentified younger sister, and officers took her in for questioning Tuesday after she disappeared after the killing. Johnson and other neighbors said they were suspicious of the sibling because they saw her leave the building early that morning.
“She had a shopping cart with all of her clothes and [wore] sunglasses,” Johnson said. “She left with all of her belongings and where is she now?”
Johnson said she thinks the sister had psychological problems.
A police source would not say if the 38-year-old sister was a person of interest in the case, but said that she was at Queens Hospital Center for undisclosed treatment. The NYPD would not comment about the alleged assault that took place the night before.
No arrests had been made as of press time Tuesday evening, the police said.
Neighbors said Hill was friendly and would often be seen walking her dog in the courtyard of the building.
“She was nice. She was a Christian lady,” said a neighbor who refused to give her name.
Police officers asked residents on the sixth floor to leave while they searched for clues in the apartment. NYPD security cameras are located outside the entrance to the building.
The door to the building does have a buzzer, but residents said it does not work and people can enter freely.
Anyone with information is urged to call Crimestoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), text their tips to 274637 then enter TIP577 or log on to nypdcrimestoppers.com. All reports will be kept confidential.
Reach reporter Ivan Pereira by e-mail at ipereira@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4546.
