New York police are investigating the killing of Nadia Vitel, whose body was found stuffed inside a duffel bag at an apartment where two squatters fled the scene.
Her teenage son was among those present when the bag was opened and her corpse discovered on March 14.
The apartment, at 206 East 31st Street, belonged to Vitel’s late mother and had been vacant for some months. Vitel arrived there early last week, and her family became worried after not hearing from her for a few days.
Speaking to the New York Daily News, the building’s superintendent Jean Pompee said, “They looked in the bag and said it was a woman. They said, ‘You have to go, this is a crime scene.'”
An autopsy concluded Vitel died from blunt force trauma to the head, and her death was recorded as a homicide.
FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images
Police are searching for a man and a woman. It is believed they made off in the victim’s Lexus SUV, and fled as far as Pennsylvania where they crashed the vehicle and abandoned it.
“Pursuant to an ongoing investigation, the Regional Fugitive Task Force is seeking a male and female in regard to this incident. The individuals were last seen fleeing the location in the deceased’s vehicle and were last seen in Pennsylvania,” said a police spokesperson.
Reports online say Vitel had flown in from Spain to visit the apartment, although social media accounts which appear to belong to her list her residence as New York. A LinkedIn profile suggests Vitel was a skilled sports marketing specialist with more than 15 years of experience. A Facebook page which also appears to belong to Vitel shows her writing fluently in Russian.
What remains unclear is how the squatters entered the apartment in first place, and how long they were there. Located in the Kip’s Bay area of Manhattan, online estimates from Redfin show similar apartments valued at anything between $2 and $5 million.
The story also comes in the context of concerns raised by property owners recently in New York City, where a person can claim squatter’s rights after 30 days of living at a property.
Last week, a woman was apprehended after a tense standoff with squatters at a home she owns in Queens. After she decided to sell the house, Adele Andaloro discovered residents squatting there who had replaced the doors and locks. She was quoted in the New York Post as saying, “I’m really fearful that these people are going to get away with stealing my home.”
Newsweek has sought an update on the Nadia Vitel case from Tarik Sheppard, the NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Public Information, through the email address provided for media on the NYPD website.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.