Report: Rensselaer County man who died by suicide assaulted sister, had pipe bombs in home

The Rensselaer County man who police said assaulted a family member before taking his own life in August had pipe bombs in his home, according to police.

The incident took place on Thursday, Aug. 22 on Anders Road in the town of Pittstown. It prompted a large law enforcement response in the area.  

Police released few details at the time, including the name of the suspect. News Channel 13 obtained a copy of the police report through a Freedom of Information Law request. We are withholding his name.

Police said the 19-year-old man assaulted his 21-year-old sister before leaving the home and taking his own life in the nearby woods.

The report shows that police responded to the property just after 2 p.m. for a report of an assault.

A friend of the family had stopped by the house to drop off clothing because the man was going to start college the following week. However, the friend was not able to enter the residence, even though she had a code for the front door.

She contacted the man’s father, who was on vacation in Florida, who checked the cameras. They showed a man in a black tank top, black pants and black ski mask was holding the door shut. That man ran out the back door with no shoes on and a long gun, according to the report.

His sister told police that their parents had gone on vacation and left she and her brother at home. The sister said her brother attacked her as she was getting out of the shower.

Her brother jumped out of her closet and then began to hit her. He also then allegedly choked her to the point of unconsciousness, according to the police report.

When she regained consciousness, she yelled some more. She knew her brother was the attacker even with the mask. He restrained her, the report stated.

After her brother left the residence, the sister was able to hoist herself up and unlock the door and let in the friend, according to the report. Police arrived and freed the woman.

More officers responded to the scene. They split up to comb the area. K-9 officers, drones and a helicopter were also used in the search.

Police pinpointed his location to a nearby cabin in the woods by tracing his cell phone signal.

At around 4:30 p.m., police heard a gunshot in the area by the cabin. They searched the cabin and didn’t find him.

The searched a trail near the cabin. Police saw the man, and he did not respond to commands. They used a flash bang. They then found him dead around 300 yards from the cabin.

They found multiple pipe bombs on the floor of his bedroom. The New York State Police bomb squad was brought in.

The scene was cleared.

The sister told police that her brother became withdrawn around 14 years old and had a deep hatred for his parents and his sister. He did not talk to many people but had a few close friends, according to the report.  

Police have closed their investigation.