A man in his 30s was found dead on Bolingbroke Street in Heaton. Police have launched a murder investigation.
A second man, also in his 30s, is in custody. Police suspect him of murder, and the investigation is ongoing. A forensics tent is still at the scene.
Neighbors say the victim was quiet and pleasant. People often saw him walking his small, black dog. The police presence felt like a TV show.
One neighbor, Jeff Hornby, drives for a living. He was stopped by police. Jeff didn’t know the man well, but his son spoke to him. He said the man caused no problems.
Jeff said the area has many students. The victim lived there about three years and frequently walked his dog. He was surprised to see so many police when he arrived.
One woman living close by expressed sadness about his death. She thought he was a nice neighbor and is upset he is gone. Another neighbor felt the same way, surprised by the police activity on their normally quiet street.
She said the street is nice and they usually have no issues there. However, she noted that no one knows what happened behind closed doors. She has lived there for 25 years and said the man caused no trouble, often seeing him walking his dog.
Kai Prest, a student nearby, saw police while playing football. He thinks the man lived alone. He found it crazy and unexpected for murder to happen so close to home.
Another man living nearby did not know of any trouble. He said such things can happen anywhere and hopes it will not happen often. Another student on the street saw the police arrive while working, noting the large number of officers and how unreal it felt, like a TV show.
Another neighbor said the event was sad and felt strange. The man kept to himself and never caused problems. Police got a call about a man needing help on Bolingbroke Street around 4:50 p.m. Wednesday.
The man had serious injuries and died at the hospital. His family has been informed. Police think the two men knew each other, but the investigation is still early.
Detective Katie Smith expressed her thoughts are with the family who lost someone they loved. She stated police will help and support them and want to know how he died. Police are still in the area.
They are asking anyone with information to contact them. They can do this through social media, the police website, or by calling 101, using reference number NP-20250305-0759.