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Tributes are pouring in after a popular Elvis and “Star Trek” impersonator was found dead at a home in the region days after going missing.
Saratoga County Sheriff’s officials said Thomas Krider, age 40, of Ticonderoga in Essex County, was found dead at a residence in Milton on Middle Line Road on Tuesday, April 9.
Krider, who performed as an Elvis tribute artist under the stage name TJ Greene, had last been seen on Friday, April 5, and was officially reported missing the following day.
An investigation determined that 69-year-old Ronald Rayher, of Milton, “recklessly caused” Krider’s death inside Rayher’s home, sheriff's officials said.
Rayher allegedly restrained and binded Krider before administering chloroform during a "consensual" encounter between the two, NewsChannel 13 reported, citing court documents and statements from Saratoga County Undersheriff Jeff Brown.
Rayher and Krider had a close relationship for over 10 years and the death does not appear to be intentional, Brown told the outlet.
An official cause of death will come from the Saratoga County Coroner’s office.
Rayher was arrested on suspicion of second-degree manslaughter and tampering with physical evidence after it was determined that he disturbed and suppressed evidence after Krider’s death, according to police.
He was arraigned in the Milton Town Court and was held at the Saratoga County jail in lieu of bail.
Meanwhile, social media has been flooded with tributes to Krider, who also worked as a tour guide at the Star Trek Original Set Tour in Ticonderoga.
“TJ was one of the most genuinely kind people I've ever known,” Emmalee Stark wrote on Facebook. “Everything he did was led with love in his heart, and he had such a joy for everything he did, whether that was hanging out with the timber town crew or belting out an Elvis tune.”
Brianna Schaefer, who created a GoFundMe campaign to help Krider’s wife with memorial expenses, remembered him as “the most kind, loving, and generous person that many of us have ever met.”
“TJ was a talented performer, whether he was wearing sequins as Elvis, or whether he was guiding a Star Trek tour. He brought his compassion and energy to every performance and he touched many lives,” she said.
“The multitude of condolences showing up on social media speak to just how many people loved him.”
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This continues to be a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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