CORNING, N.Y. (WETM) – One Corning man is in jail after police said he murdered a woman in her apartment, stole her car, and drove across the county early Friday morning, according to Corning Police.
Brett Heffner, 29, was arrested by Hornell Police after an investigation into the death of 26-year-old Keli Collins in the Stewart Park Apartment complex off Walter Smith Terrace in the City of Corning. Corning Police responded to the complex around 1:12 a.m. on August 5 for a report of an unresponsive woman.
Officers, the Corning Fire Department, and AMR Ambulance all attempted life-saving measures on Collins, but they were unsuccessful.
According to Corning Police, Heffner also lived in the Stewart Park Apartment complex and knew Collins; however, police said they didn’t live together. He allegedly attacked Collins while she was in her own apartment.
Police said Heffner then stole Collins’ car and drove to Hornell. The City of Hornell Police Department found the vehicle around 2:00 a.m. while local law enforcement—including New York State Police and the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office—searched the area and investigated both in Hornell and Corning. Heffner was arrested without incident, the press release from Corning police said.
He was charged with 2nd-degree murder, arraigned in the Corning City Court and taken to the Steuben County Jail without bail. Heffner is scheduled to appear in court again on Tuesday, August 9 at 8:30 a.m.
The investigation into the murder is ongoing, Corning Police said.