Police search for client of lawyer found murdered in Queens office
JACKSON HEIGHTS, Queens (WABC) -- Detectives are looking into whether slain lawyer Charles Zolot may have been targeted by an unhappy client.
Zolot had a 64-year-old client who expressed dissatisfaction over his home foreclosure case.
Detectives say they would like to speak to that client, along with his 66-year-old brother.
Zolot had recently spoken of being threatened by them, and witnesses told detectives they were spotted in the building the night before the victim was discovered dead.
A cleaning person discovered the 65-year-old lawyer's body just before 6 a.m. Thursday on the second floor of an office building on 82nd Street in Jackson Heights.
Police said he was laying on his back and had suffered a puncture wound to his chest and trauma to his back.
When they first heard the news, other lawyers in the building figured Zolot died of natural causes. But as the day went on, it became clear that wasn't the case.
Zolot was supposed to be in Queens Supreme Court Thursday on a case. According to the website for Zolot's business, he was a divorce and child custody lawyer and also handled real estate disputes.
Fellow lawyers who also had offices in the building said a member of the clerical staff reported feeling frightened by one of Zolot's clients.
"As a lawyer, you're always afraid of some clients that could get really upset with you, and we're living in a very crazy time when people get very agitated very quickly," attorney Mark Drucker said.
Police are now reviewing surveillance cameras from the building.
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