Harvey Marcelin (born 1938) is an American octogenarian serial killer from Brooklyn, New York City.[1]
Harvey Marcelin | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 31, 1938 Manhattan, NY |
| Criminal status | in custody |
| Details | |
| Victims | convicted of two killings, a third case currently active |
Span of crimes | 1963–2022 |
| Country | United States |
| State(s) | New York |
Early life
Marcelin was born in 1938 and was raised in New York City by a single mother. At the age of 14, he attempted to rape an 8-year-old girl and subsequently received counselling from Catholic Charities USA. He later found work as a copy machine operator.[2]
Victims
In early 1963, Harvey was accused of raping his girlfriend Jacqueline Bonds. At the time he reportedly "drank often, took cocaine, regularly assaulted Ms. Bonds and was in and out of psychiatric care". In April 1963, shortly before Harvey was due to appear before a grand jury on the rape charges, he shot and killed Bonds in their Manhattan apartment. A police report recorded that he "chased her as she staggered through the kitchen and living room, and shot her twice more before she collapsed". He was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison, but was released in 1984.[2][3]
In October 1985, a year after his first release from prison, Harvey stabbed to death 29-year-old Ana Laura Sierra, a homeless heroin addict and sex worker. He then dismembered Ana's body and placed it in a dark plastic bag, which Harvey pushed around in a shopping cart before depositing it at an entrance to Central Park. He told police that Sierra had sold Harvey's flute to buy drugs. Harvey was again charged with first-degree murder, but struck a plea bargain and pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter. He was returned to prison in 1986, but was released in August 2019 after 15 parole hearings.[2][4] Previously identified as male, he subsequently began identifying as a transgender woman and was placed in a women's homeless shelter in accordance with New York City Department of Social Services policy.[2]
Harvey's alleged most recent victim is 68-year-old Susan Leyden, who was killed and dismembered in Marcelin's Brooklyn apartment in March 2022.[5]
Personal life
At the time of the 2022 murder, Harvey identified as a transgender woman. However, during the 1963 and 1985 murders, he identified as male, and went by the name Harvey Marcelin.[6]
In media
- NBC New York TV report — The Timeline of Harvey Marcelin.[7]
References
- ^ Byrne, Kerry J.; Vago, Steven (2022-03-13). "Wheelchair no handicap for gruesome NYC serial killer Harvey Marcelin". New York Post. Retrieved 2022-03-13.
- ^ a b c d O'Brien, Rebecca Davis; Watkins, Ali (July 30, 2022). "How Did a Two-Time Killer Get Out to Be Charged Again at Age 83?". The New York Times. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
- ^ Funk, Luke (2022-03-10). "Elderly convicted killer arrested after dismembered body found in Brooklyn". FOX 5 NY. Retrieved 2022-03-13.
- ^ "Police reveal disturbing details after 83-year-old suspected serial killer arrested in torso murder". ABC7 New York. 2022-03-11. Retrieved 2022-03-13.
- ^ O’Brien, Rebecca Davis; Watkins, Ali (2022-03-10). "He Killed Two Women. At 83, Marcelin Is Charged With Dismembering a Third". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-03-13.
- ^ "83-Year-Old in NYC Torso Dump Case Seen on Video Sitting on Human Leg While Riding Scooter in Store: Cops".
- ^ "A Timeline of Harvey Marcelin". NBC New York. Retrieved 2022-03-13.