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Suspect Claims Innocence in Developer's Murder
By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 25, 2008
Modified Mar 25, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 25, 2008
Modified Mar 25, 2008
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A murder suspect told WCBS 2 he didn't kill real estate developer Andrew Kissel. Carlos Trujillo, who was Kissel's personal assistant-chauffeur, is being held on $1 million bail, while his cousin Leonard Trujillo was also charged with killing Kissel.
In 2006, right before Kissel was to plead guilty to federal embezzling charges, movers found his stabbed body in his Greenwich mansion's basement. Kissel, who had embezzled millions from his Upper East Side co-op, faced millions in debt, and his house, collectible cars and yachts were being liquidated. The Courant mentions a "tangled web" of finances between Kissel and Trujillo's family (brother Jorge Trujillo managed Kissel's NJ apartment holdings, Jorge's wife was Kissel's bookkeeper), including Kissel giving Jorge $250,000 to buy a boat for Kissel and giving Carlos jewelry (including some of Kissel's wife's) to sell off.
Greenwich police chief David Ridberg didn't dismiss the suicide-for-hire theory (his kids would still get insurance money), "If it ends up being the case, that's fine. If it doesn't end up being the case, that's fine too." But he added Trujillo would still be charged with murder.
Overall, Ridberg gave few details, “I know everybody wants a story, and it’s a good story, and when the warrant is unsealed, you’ll have it...I hate to say no comment. I’m such a TV-driven guy. I know you want to have it all mapped out and have a ‘Law and Order’ episode.”
Tagged
Andrew Kissel
crime
murder
real estate developer
suicide-for-hire
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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