SANBORN, N.Y. (WKBW) — A Buffalo police officer has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder after police found a woman dead inside a home on Saturday.
According to the Lewiston Police Department, officers conducted a welfare check for a woman inside a home on Buffalo Street in Sanborn on Saturday, just after 5 p.m. Upon arriving, officers found 35-year-old Alexis Skoczylas dead inside the home. 7 News has learned that she was found with a single gunshot wound to the head.
53-year-old Lance Woods, a Buffalo police officer, has been arrested and charged with one count of second-degree murder.
WATCH: Buffalo police officer charged with second-degree murder after woman was found dead
According to Lewiston Police Chief Michael Salada, Woods was detained during a traffic stop by the town of Amherst Police Department between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. He said Woods and Skoczylas were married and there were no calls in the past for domestic violence. Two children live at the home and are in the care of relatives. According to court documents, Skoczylas filed for a contested divorce in September 2025.
The Buffalo Police Department released the following statement:
“At approximately 1 a.m. today, the Buffalo Police 911 Dispatch Lieutenant was contacted by the Lewiston Police Department in connection with a homicide in Niagara County. Lewiston Police were seeking the location of off-duty Buffalo Police Officer Lance Woods.
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.
Pursuant to New York State Executive Law Section 70-b governing officer-involved deaths, the case has been referred to the New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation (OSI). Buffalo Police will continue to coordinate with OSI to support their ongoing investigation.
The Buffalo Police Internal Affairs Division is also in the process of reviewing the timeline of events of this rapidly evolving situation.”
According to police, Woods has been with the Buffalo Police Department since January 2008, and at the time of his arrest, held the rank of police officer. He was an active School Resource Officer, but was not stationed at one specific school; he answered calls at all schools in the city. In addition, the last shift he worked before his arrest ended at 4 p.m. on Friday.
The 7 News I- Team has learned that Woods is not a member of the Buffalo Police Benevolent Association (PBA) and exercised his Janus rights to leave the union.
7 News has also learned that Woods used a personally registered firearm at the time of the shooting and did not use his city-issued firearm. Investigators said Woods was not driving a city vehicle when he was arrested.
It is unclear if Woods has been placed on paid or unpaid administrative leave.
The investigation is ongoing. If there is any information relevant to the case, the Lewiston Police Department encourages the public to call their office at 716-754-8477.
If you or a loved one has or is currently experiencing domestic violence, the following hotlines are available:
- New York State Domestic Violence 24-Hour Hotline: 1-800-942-6906
- New York State Chat/Text hotline: Text 844-997-2121
- National Domestic Violence 24-Hour Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY)
- Erie County Child and Family Services: 716-884-6000
- Family Justice Center: 716-558-7233
A GoFundMe has been created for the Skoczylas family, which you can find here.
You can watch Jeff Rinaldo, a retired Buffalo Police Captain, speak with Michael Wooten about the BPD officer who was charged with murdering his wife in Sanborn below.
WATCH: BPD officer charged with murdering wife in Sanborn
