BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A 78-year-old man being held on a charge of second-degree murder died Thursday while in custody.
Donald McCoy had been accused of killing Adele Oliver, 55, who authorities say was stabbed in the home they shared on Amherst Street in Buffalo, in December 2020.
In early November 2023, McCoy was admitted to Buffalo General Hospital, then ECMC, for an infection in his brain. The Erie County Sheriff’s office says he “had a complex medical history requiring several hospitalizations” during the time he was in custody.
On Thursday, he was cleared by medical staff to be taken to Erie County Court for a competency exam. When he got to the courthouse, the Sheriff’s office says he collapsed and became unresponsive.
“Authorities are awaiting autopsy results to determine a cause of death,” Sheriff John Garcia said. “However, it appears McCoy suffered a sudden medical event.”