Homicide detectives are investigating after a woman was found dead and bound inside a home on Long Island Wednesday night, authorities said.
Investigators were called to the small home on Smith Street in Merrick after 48-year-old's Suzanne Goldfarb's father, checking to see why she had missed a scheduled dinner with her parents, discovered her body in an upstairs bedroom and called 911.
Officials said she died from asphyxiation, but declined to elaborate on the circumstances. They also did not say how her body had been bound.
Police said there were no apparent signs of forced entry. Authorities said they plan to look into whether the killer may have been granted entry into the house or had a key.
"We're going to explore every possibility that this person responsible may have been granted entry into this house," said Nassau Police Chief Kevin Smith.
Neighbors said Goldfarb lived by herself in a small cottage on the property of a Smith Street home and was a nanny to two young children. The resident of the main house told NBC 4 New York Thursday he was devastated by the killing.
"The thought of what happened to her -- I want to, I'm crying, I'm done, I can't cry anymore," said the man, who only gave his first name as Jack.
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He said he became concerned when he saw police outside the cottage and went to go check on her.
"I went in the back to go check Sue, 'cause she's by herself, and that's when the cop told me what happened," he said.
"She didn't have a malicious bone in her body. She's give a homeless person her shoes," said Jack, who became close friends with Goldfarb when the two of them moved in around the same time.
"I was peas, she was carrots," he said.
Jack said Goldfarb was dating someone and appeared happy. He recalled one of their last conversations about it.
"I kept saying, 'how's things?' 'Oh, fine, great.' 'You know, how's the new guy?' 'Beautiful,'" he said. "'You happy?' 'Jack, I can't remember the last time.'"
Others also described Goldfarb as a kind person who always waved at her neighbors.
"I used to run the service at the gas station there — a couple times we got robbed," said Mohamed Sharif, who lives in Merrick. "But not like this. Killing someone? I don't know."
Anyone with information about Goldfarb's death is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS.
