Two men accused of killing a Chelsea floral designer after meeting him for sex at his apartment earlier this month were arraigned over the weekend.
Edwin Faulkner and Juan Carlos Martinez-Herrera were captured in Florida Friday after a weeks-long manhunt and extradited to New York to face charges. They appeared in court Sunday.
Prosecutors say the two men met for sex at John Laubach's apartment on March 2. Court records say Faulkner confessed to police that he killed Laubach by choking him.
The victim's arms were found tied to the bedpost with an electrical cord, his mouth gagged with tape and his face covered with a towel, authorities said.
Prosecutors say after killing Laubach and typing him up, the suspects stole his computer, some jewelry and an ATM card.
A pawn shop clerk notified police when they tried to pawn the jewelry.
Police sources believe Laubach met his killer on the website rentboy.com, a place where gay men can connect with other men or escorts.
Neighbors said Laubach had only been in the apartment for about a year and that he lived alone with his pet cockatoo, often seen perched on his shoulder.
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"He was friendly with everyone in the building," said one man who lived on Laubach's floor.
Laubach was an active member of a Greenwich Village church and was studying to be a pastor, according to a friend.
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