The man who was found dead, bound and gagged, in his West 22nd Street apartment on Friday night, was remembered as a kind and generous neighbor who was a devoted churchgoer. The killing of John Laubach, 57, is being investigated by police, who found that there were no signs of forced entry to the Chelsea apartment.
Laubash, who had worked at Sotheby's and as a florist, was "wearing only a white T-shirt, with an electrical cord lashed around his wrists...[there was] duct tape across his mouth, his hands bound and a towel draped over his head," according to the Daily News.
The Post reports, "With no visible signs of trauma, the city Medical Examiner’s Office said the cause of death was pending toxicology test results, which could take up to 10 days. Sources said detectives are poring over Laubach’s cellphone and computer to learn whom he was talking to before he was killed, and are exploring the theory that one of his hookups may have resulted in his death, the sources said They are also exploring the possibility of a home-invasion robbery, the sources said. 'Whoever was involved tried to cover up what he did,' according to a source."
Laubach was a familiar figure in the neighborhood, because he often walked around with his pet parrot Bolo on his shoulder. Apparently the bird was "heard squawking in the apartment hours after the killing" (the bird is now in the care of Animal Care & Control). Sources tell the Post that Laubauch, who limped after a stroke, "frequently hooked up with men in their early 20s, feeding and clothing them... 'I don’t know him to have any enemies,' a longtime friend said. 'Maybe he picked up the wrong person, who thought he had money.'"
Friends also say that Laubach, who attended church every week, was studying to be an Episcopal priest. He volunteered at Church of the Ascension, and sexton Len Bowman told the News, "He’s a very, very dedicated person. You could tell the church was his family...He had a lot of class. He was really profound. He was a very lovable guy around here."
