UPDATE: Perp or perps? UPD investigating Oswego Street stabbing

(VICTIMS' NAMES RELEASED) UTICA, March 9, 2010 -- Utica Police are faced again with an uncooperative witness as they continue investigating a double stabbing that happened late Sunday night on Oswego Street.

UPDATE: The victim's names have been released by UPD. Joseph D. Hill, 17, of Sunset Avenue, and Nathaniel T. Skermont, 16, of Watson Place.

Right now, UPD Capt. Jim Watson said, it's safe to say there are no suspects in mind.

"There is a limited amount of information we have been able to gan so far," he said. "So far there are no witnesses (besides the vicims) that have been located. We did canvass the neighborhood -- we knocked on several doors and asked people on the street -- to see if we could find any witnesses. And we will canvass again."

Money? Drugs? Vengeance for a loved one? Random violence? Watson said there's no particular motive UPD is aware of for the attack. The investigation is still very new.

That said, police aren't sure how many perpetrators there are -- one or more. Watson said the victims, two Utica males, were not critically injured, but one is not cooperating with police and the other is still recovering from his wound.

"One (Skermont) was not in condition to speak with us and the other (Hill) was not willing to speak with us," Watson said. "They were two friends walking down the street. We're still looking into specifiecs, but we're not exactly sure yet what started the confrontation."

Skermont was stabbed on his left side -- he was hospitalized locally. Right now it's tough to say whether or not he will be cooperative with police.

"I really don't know at this point," Watson said. "He did talk a little (Sunday) night, but he was in no condition to get us any good information."

Hill -- the one not giving up information to police -- was treated for cuts and stab wounds to the top and back of his head and released, Watson said.

"We will re-interview everybody in the next couple of days," Watson said.

The incident was reported at 10:25 p.m.

'SNITCHES GET STITCHES' MENTALITY

The mentality of many people who find themselves in a situation like the two victims this weekend is that something will happen to them if they tell police who did it.

In January, Utica Daily News spoke with UPD's Sgt. Scott Cifonelli about that concept.

"A lot of of times people think they're helping the police if they talk to us about an incident," Cifonelli said. "But in reality they are helping their own friends and family by doing the right thing. For example, if we go to the scene of a serious assaualt, stabbing or shooting, a lot of the witnesses are friends with the victim and they still refuse still to say what they saw or who did it."

There are three main reasons why civilians choose not to cooperate with police on an investigation, police said:

• They feel it's not their business
• They fear retaliation against them
• "I'm not a snitch"

UPD Chief Mark Williams, then a deputy chief, agreed.

"The sad part is there's people out there that at times have information that could put some real bad guys away," he said. "It's tough to get people to cooperate."