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Ashley Heshmat, of Albany, pleaded not guilty to a seven-count indictment including second-degree murder in Albany County Court on Wednesday, Jan. 24, in the death of Justin Bishop.
Albany Police were called at around 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 14, for a welfare check at a residence on Rose Court.
The caller told dispatchers that Bishop, who lived at the home with Heshmat, hadn’t been heard from since the day prior.
When officers entered the house, they found Bishop dead. He had suffered multiple stab wounds to his head and neck area, according to police.
Prosecutors said Heshmat attempted to hide Bishop’s body after the man was dead, and later gave police a false statement about the events leading up to his death.
Investigators did not speculate on a possible motive for the killing.
Bishop’s estranged wife, Crystal Heshmat, told the Albany Times Union that she had made multiple 911 calls on the night before his death saying she believed that her brother might harm the man.
An officer eventually went to the home at around 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 13, but only spoke to her brother and not Bishop, the outlet reports.
“They weren’t taking me seriously,” she told the Times Union.
The initial press release from the Albany Police Department on Sunday, Jan. 14, made no mention of the previous night’s welfare check, nor of Crystal Heshmat’s repeated attempts to have officers check on her husband.
“Officer/officers did their due diligence and followed appropriate protocols when responding to this call,” Albany Police spokesperson Megan Craft said.
In court Wednesday, Heshmat pleaded not guilty to the following charges:
- Second-degree murder
- Concealment of a human corpse
- Five counts of tampering with physical evidence
He is scheduled to appear back in Albany County Court on Wednesday, Feb. 21.
This continues to be a developing story. Check back to daily Voice for updates.
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