A dead man found naked and covered in blood in a bathtub in his midtown apartment had been stabbed at least seven times -- possibly with both a steak knife and a pair of scissors -- after apparently coming onto a man he had brought home to do drugs with, according to a criminal complaint.
Police found the body of Khemraj Singh, 46, in the bathroom of his West 48th Street apartment Wednesday; he was in the bathtub, covered by a clear shower curtain, in a pool of his own blood, court documents said. According to the complaint, there was blood on the walls and on the floor.
A pair of scissors lay in the bathroom sink, wet from a still running faucet, and a steak knife was in the tub near Singh's body.
The medical examiner determined Singh had at least seven stab and puncture wounds to his back, torso, face, neck and hands, as well as bruising on his face and neck. There were signs he had been choked, but the medical examiner ruled he died of a single puncture wound to his neck that cut his carotid artery, according to court documents.
Jeffrey Wong, 41, who lives a block away from Singh on West 47th Street, was arrested a day after Singh's body was found and charged with second-degree murder in his death. According to court documents, Wong told detectives that he went home with Singh to do cocaine on Tuesday.
Singh came out of the bedroom naked, court papers say Wong told investigators, and Wong tried to leave, but the suspect told police Singh pulled out a knife. A struggle ensued, and Wong told police he pushed Singh into the bathtub and started punching him; he told authorities that if Singh had been stabbed, it must have been because he fell on his own knife, according to the complaint.
Cocaine was found in the living room of Singh's home, the walls and floors of which were also covered in blood when police arrived, the complaint said.
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Wong was remanded after his arraignment Friday. He is being represented by Legal Aid, which doesn't comment on current cases.
