In May of 2001, a media frenzy broke out when three individuals were murdered and two others were wounded after being lined up and shot inside an apartment that was situated above the famous Carnegie Deli in New York City.
In the first episode of a new true crime series on Netflix called Homicide: New York, the killings that were carried out in the manner of an execution and took place in the apartment of a background dancer in the film Dirty Dancing are the topic of the investigation. The episode includes interviews with a variety of New York law enforcement officials, including detectives from the New York Police Department who worked on the cases that are presented.
The violent killings of Jennifer Stahl, Charles “Trey” Helliwell, and Stephen King are discussed in this episode, which is named “Carnegie Deli Massacre.” It was at Stahl’s apartment, which was situated above the well-known diner on 7th Avenue that had closed its doors in 2016, when the violence took place.
Stahl, who was a dancer, actor, and singer, and who produced music in a studio that was transformed into her apartment, financed her creative lifestyle by selling marijuana in that flat.
Stahl was sipping wine at her house on May 10, 2000, with King, who was working in the apartment that night; Helliwell and his girlfriend, Rosemond Dane, who were visiting New York; and Anthony Veader, Stahl’s hairdresser. King was working in the apartment that night. Two armed guys entered the house after hearing a buzz at the door, and they made an effort to rob Stahl of both marijuana and cash inside. According to the recollections of the investigators, Stahl was led to her converted studio by one of the assailants, while the second attacker taped the hands of the guests.
After the assailants had entered the building, the Stahl and her four guests were all shot in the head within a few minutes. King and Helliwell both died away at the site of the accident, while Stahl passed away after being transported to the hospital. While Veader sustained a relatively minor injury and phoned 911 after the two intruders departed the apartment, Dane was severely hurt but managed to live. Veader was the one who contacted 911.
Those who worked on the murder investigation, including detectives and other investigators, are heavily featured in the television show Homicide, which is executive produced by Dick Wolf, the creator of Law & Order.
It was discovered that the victims’ hands had been duct-taped, and their corpses were discovered inside the flat. According to Barbara Butcher, a loss investigator for the medical examiner’s office, the hint that led detectives to assume that the culprits could have known Stahl is revealed in the video tape that was shared with PEOPLE and can be seen below.
According to Butcher’s recollections of the crime scene, “They did not break in, and the door is not broken down.” This should provide you with some insight.
In the episode, it is revealed that the two suspects were seen entering the apartment complex while they were under observation. Over time, it was determined that the individuals in question were Sean Salley, a person who was familiar to Stahl, and Andre Smith, a second individual.
Twenty-one days after the incident, Smith handed himself up to authorities. However, after having conversations with a number of investigators, Smith first admitted that he was not involved in the crime. However, former New York Police Department Detective Irma Rivera, whose distinctive New York accent stands out heavily throughout the show, was successful in getting him to break.
Rivera describes how she made an effort to connect with Smith on a more personal level. Smith eventually revealed that he needed money to purchase diapers, which is the root cause of his decision to rob Stahl. However, he said that no one was meant to be murdered, and he blamed Salley for the losses that occurred.
Since Salley, who had known Stahl throughout his time working in the music business, was still nowhere to be discovered, Stahl was still missing. The investigators submitted an application for the case to be featured on America’s Most Wanted after they had investigated a number of potential residences in the states of New York and New Jersey.
Salley’s face was plastered on network television when the case was picked up by the popular program, which went on to discuss it. The detectives on the episode describe how the number of calls started to come in. Salley, who had been missing for quite some time, was ultimately located in Miami. She had gone from New Orleans to Miami, having taken a bus from New York.
Rivera was sent to Miami in order to conduct an interrogation with Salley. Salley said that he had planned to rob Stahl, but his pistol unintentionally went off. He also stated that Smith was the one who was responsible for the losses of the other two victims. But those in authority did not believe it.
A trial that had been postponed due to the events that occurred on September 11, 2001 resulted in both Salley and Smith being found guilty of murder and receiving sentences of one hundred twenty years in prison.
Netflix is presently offering the streaming service Homicide: New York to its subscribers.
