A Little History In and Around Buffalo, NY

As published in the Olean Times Herald: At Ski Wing Questing Continues in Killings ALLEGANY - Awaiting reports on items sent to the New York State Police laboratories in Albany, investigators checking into the deaths of two employees of Ski Wing Hollow are continuing the slow, routine questioning of numerous persons. Ground which already may have been covered is recovered as possible new information is turned up. Funeral services were conducted this morning for Stephen Bender, 29, and Michael Forness, 29, killed Sunday night by burglars who carried off a safe containing more than $15,000 from the ski resort chalet. Both men were shot three times apiece when they apparently surprised the burglars. Their bodies were discovered an estimated three hours later when a young janitor reported for work. The two men had worked as ski slope groomers, working between 10 pm and 10 am. Time cards show they had reported at the normal time on Sunday. Time of deaths has been set about midnig...

As published in the Salamanca Press:  Ski Wing homicide investigation: Drug, burglary arrests stem from murder probe. ALLEGHANY - State police continuing their "intense investigation" into the brutal murder Monday of two employees at the Ski Wing Hollow resort have made two arrests, but cautioned that the two charged are "not yet connected" with the double homicide. Troopers said that the arrests were made as the result of their investigation and over 100 interviews being conducted in effort to solve the murder of Stephen Bender, 30, of Olean and Michael Forness, 29, of Cuba. The combined investigation by New York State Police and the Olean Police Department resulted in the arrest of the two subjects on drug and burglary charges. Cattaraugus County District Attorney Michael Nevins, working closely with state and local police, prepared a search warrant which was signed by Cattaraugus County Judge James Crowley and authorized the search of the premises at ...