Ashley Shook and Kiara Smith
16 hours ago
GREENFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A man arrested in New York state wanted in connection with a murder in Greenfield was extradited to Massachusetts on Monday.
On April 22nd Greenfield police were called to an apartment on Chapman Street after a report of a foul odor. When officers entered the home, they found a body lying on the floor. The victim was identified as 35-year-old Christopher Hairston formerly of Pittsfield and Greenfield.
The following day, an arrest warrant was issued for the former tenant, 42-year-old Taaniel L. Herberger-Brown. He was found in his vehicle at an Albany International Airport parking garage and arrested and charged as a fugitive from justice.
According to the police report, Herberger-Brown told investigators he was at the airport because he was planning to visit his mother out of the country. The suspect, however, mentioned several different destinations, including Germany, Vancouver, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland.
He allegedly told police that he had gotten into a physical altercation with an unknown person who had broken into his apartment. Herberger-Brown said he believed the intruder to have been on drugs, and said that after the altercation, he died because his “heart stopped.” Afterward, Herberger-Brown said he left the apartment to get a tire rotation. Police were not able to determine exactly when this alleged altercation took place.
Northwestern District Attorney’s Office Spokesperson Laurie Loisel told 22News, that Herberger-Brown remains in custody at the Franklin County Jail and House of Correction pending his arraignment Tuesday morning in Greenfield District Court. He is being represented by Springfield attorney Nicholas Horgan.
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