2 men found fatally shot in Selden home, Suffolk police say

Suffolk County detectives searching for a missing person found two men shot to death inside a home in Selden late Tuesday night, police said. 

Fourth Squad detectives responded to an address on Hollywood Avenue at 10:45 p.m. Tuesday and found the bodies of Ian Saalfield, 45, of Lake Grove, who had been reported missing by his wife on April 26, and the homeowner, Robert Julian, 58, police said in a news release Wednesday morning. 

Both men were pronounced dead at the scene by a physician assistant from the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner, police said. 

Det. Lt. Kevin Beyrer, commanding officer of the Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad, said in an interview Wednesday morning that the case did not appear to be a murder-suicide. He said investigators are trying to determine if potential "drug trade" involvement played a role. Beyrer said police were searching for a suspect. 

"Right now, we don't know the relationship between the two men," Beyrer said Wednesday. "We believe they're friends of some sort. . . . This does not appear to be a murder-suicide."

Beyrer said Fourth Squad detectives arrived at the Hollywood Avenue home  about 11 p.m. while following a lead on their missing person case, and through a window spotted the missing man and the homeowner dead inside the house.

Beyrer said the home "was the location the missing person was last seen." Sixth Precinct police officers then responded to the scene and cordoned off the area, Beyrer said.

He confirmed both victims had been shot, but gave no indication how long police believe either man had been dead.

Neighbors said Julian's father owned the home for about 30 years before passing it on to his son. Neighbors had noticed lights left on outside for several days and had not spoken to Julian for more than a week. 

"I woke up this morning to someone knocking on my door. This is a quiet neighborhood. I’ve lived here 26 years and this is shocking. I really can’t believe this," said Anjalie McGuire, 58, who lives on the opposite end of the dead-end street.

Daniel Mannix, 71, who lives across the street from the house, said he knew Julian, who lived there for more than three years.

“He was a very nice guy. He was always friendly and stopped to say hello or help if you want it,” Mannix said. “I’m totally shocked. … We didn’t hear no gunshots or nothing.”

Suffolk County police cleared the Selden crime scene about 11 a.m. but kept patrol cars stationed at the end of the home's driveway. 

The white house sits at the top of a long dirt driveway with about a week's worth of newspapers piled up near the street.

Family members arrived at the house late Wednesday morning and declined to comment.

A man who identified himself as Saalfield’s father, but declined to provide his name, said by telephone: “He was a wonderful, wonderful, uncle, son, father. He would do anything for anybody. He was kind, generous. He was well liked. He was just a wonderful, wonderful person.”

Police are asking anyone with information about the case to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS. All calls will remain confidential, police said.

With John Valenti and James Carbone