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Boyfriend Pleads Guilty To Nearly Decapitating Girlfriend In LES Apt.
By
Jen Chung
Published Sep 25, 2012
Modified Sep 25, 2012
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By
Jen Chung
Published Sep 25, 2012
Modified Sep 25, 2012
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In April of last year, a fashion publicist confessed to nearly decapitating his girlfriend in their Lower East Side apartment. Raul Barrera was due to face trial for Sarah Coit's gruecome murder this week, but opted to plead guilty. His lawyer told the Post, "Going to trial, he figured, wasn't his best option."
Barrera, 34, and Coit, a 23-year-old Hunter College student, were apparently arguing—Coit was breaking up with him—and neighbors called 911 about the screams. However, by the time the police arrived, they found Coit's ravaged body: Last year, the Daily News reported, "Barrera pulled several knives from a wooden butcher block... cops said. Then, in a fit of rage, he used them to gouge Coit's pretty face. He sliced her across the mouth and jaw, and with such force that one of the tips of the blades broke, authorities said." One knife was still left in Coit's head.
Barrera turned himself into police, claiming Coit had been "bad," and there were reports of his past domestic abuse incidents. Now Barrera's sentencing is later this week—he faces from 15 years to life in prison.
Tagged
decapitation
guilty plea
Lower East Side
murder
raul barrera
sarah coit
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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