Update 5/15 11:30 a.m.- The St. Lawrence County Sheriff's Office has established a command post for the Simonds case investigation. Anyone with information may call the command post directly at 315-389-1537.
The St. Lawrence County man fatally shot in his home Tuesday morning was apparently seriously involved in the business of growing and selling marijuana.
At a media conference late Wednesday afternoon Sheriff Kevin Wells displayed 140 pounds of high-grade, hydroponically grown pot, upwards of $60,000 in cash and a hunting rifle version of an AK 47 firearm, all found at the Stockholm home of Daniel Simonds.
Simonds, 31, was fatally wounded during what investigators believe was a robbery attempt at his home on Porter Lynch Road at about 12:45 a.m. Tuesday. He was shot once in the torso and later died in a Burlington hospital.
Sheriff Wells also displayed a blood stained hoodie sweatshirt believed to have been discarded by one of the three would-be robbers. The Sheriff is asking for the public’s help in identifying the owner of the sweatshirt.
The marijuana, found packaged for sale, has a St. Lawrence County wholesale value estimated at $2000 per pound. According to an investigator the wholesale value after transport to a major city would jump to as much as $3000 per pound.
A DEA agent involved in the investigation said that, in addition to the marijuana on display at the Sheriff’s office, 34 pot plants, each ranging from 4 to 6 feet in height were found at Simonds’ home.
Anyone with additional information is asked to contact the Sheriff’s office at 315-379-2222.
