Attorney General to Prosecute Off-duty Buffalo Officer Charged with Wife’s Killing in Niagara County

An off-duty Buffalo police officer who fatally shot his wife inside their Niagara County home is now facing prosecution by the New York State Attorney General’s Office as local and state authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the Valentine’s Day incident.

Lance L. Woods, 53, a Buffalo Police officer assigned as a school resource officer, has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of his wife, Alexis Skoczylas, 35. Skoczylas was found dead inside the couple’s home on Buffalo Street in Sanborn, Niagara County, after police were dispatched for a welfare check in the evening hours of Saturday, February 14th.

Lewiston Police said officers were sent to the residence at approximately 5:14pm after family members reported they could not reach Skoczylas. A dispatch transmission indicated that “a female, named Alexis, could not be reached by family members” and also that “the female was going through a divorce.”

When officers entered the home they discovered Skoczylas’ deceased body. It has since been confirmed that she suffered a fatal gunshot wound. Authorities have not publicly detailed the events that preceded her death, but prosecutors allege Woods shot his wife while at home with his family.

In a statement, the Attorney General’s Office said, “While at home with his family, Woods allegedly shot his wife, Ms. Skoczylas, causing her death.”

Public records show the property at 5781 Buffalo St. is owned by Woods. The couple had lived there since 2021 and share two children, believed to be between 7 and 10 years old. Court filings indicate Skoczylas filed for divorce in September.

According to Buffalo Police Interim Commissioner Craig Macy, Lewiston Police contacted Buffalo’s 911 dispatch lieutenant at approximately 1am Sunday seeking assistance in locating Woods who was not on duty at the time.

“Buffalo Police detectives worked in coordination with Lewiston Police, sharing resources to support the apprehension of Woods, including using investigative resources to attempt to locate the vehicle Woods was believed to be driving. Woods has subsequently been arrested and charged with Murder," Macy said in the statement.

Law enforcement sources said investigators used cellphone tracking technology to help determine Woods’ location. He was ultimately found at a family member’s home where he had dropped off his children. Cheektowaga and Amherst police officers took him into custody. Sources familiar with the investigation said Woods had told another Buffalo Police officer that he was “trying to go to Pennsylvania.”

Woods was arraigned Sunday at the Niagara County Jail’s centralized arraignment part. Town of Somerset Justice of the Peace Pamela Rider ordered him held without bail pending further proceedings. He entered a plea of not guilty to the second-degree murder charge.

The Attorney General’s Office has indicated that additional charges may be presented when the case is brought before a grand jury in the coming weeks.

Attorney General Letitia James confirmed that prosecutors from her office will handle the case. The referral stems from New York Executive Law Section 70-b, which requires the Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation (OSI) to review incidents in which a police officer or peace officer may have caused a person’s death, regardless of whether the officer was on or off duty.

The statute mandates that OSI “assesses every incident reported to it where a police officer or a peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused the death of a person, by an act or omission. Under the law, the officer may be on-duty or off-duty, and the decedent may be armed or unarmed.”

Although Woods was off duty at the time of the alleged shooting, the law applies because he is a sworn law enforcement officer.

Commissioner Macy said Buffalo Police have initiated an internal review of the events leading up to Woods’ arrest.

“The Buffalo Police Internal Affairs Division is also in the process of reviewing the timeline of events of this rapidly evolving situation,” Macy said in his statement.

Department records show Woods joined the Buffalo Police Department in 2008. At the time of his arrest, he was serving as a school resource officer. Authorities have not released details about his employment status following the charge.

Lewiston Police confirmed that multiple agencies assisted in the investigation including Buffalo Police, the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office, Niagara Falls Police, the Niagara County District Attorney’s Office, Cheektowaga Police, Amherst Police and the Attorney General’s Office.

Woods remains in held at the Niagara County Jail.

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Attorney General to Prosecute Off-duty Buffalo Officer Charged in Wife’s Killing in Niagara County