News: Murder Trial for Long Island Motivational Speaker
(Long Island, N.Y.)Not only did a fifty-two-year old motivational speaker and father of three get caught in a $300 million Ponzi scheme headed by former manager of *NSYNC and The Backstreet Boys, he attempted to stage his own murder by hiring a contract killer. The debt caused by the scandal left him to take out a multiple-million-dollar life insurance policy a month prior to his death. However, the insurance company claims he lied about his income and has refused to pay his family what was promised for his death.
A thirty-six-year old man from East Harlem was arrested a week after the speaker’s death for first-degree murder and robbery. Those charges were later dropped when new information about the case came to light. The alleged killer claimed he was hired by the speaker to hold a knife in place while he repeatedly plunged into it. The crime took place in the speaker’s ’07 Dodge Magnum which was parked near the Triboro/Robert F. Kennedy Bridge. He was found by police with his hands tied behind his back and neck tied with chord to the driver seat’s headrest.
The alleged killer claims that video footage which shows him purchasing items from a bodega immediately after the crime was part of the speaker’s plan. He says he used the deceased man’s ATM card to help stage the murder and robbery; he also claims that the ATM card was what the speaker promised him for the hired killing. He says he met the fifty-two-year old prior to his death when the speaker was walking around East Harlem streets looking for a gun and a “Kevorkian.”
Though this bizarre crime happened on July 16th, 2009 at roughly three o’clock in the morning, the trial didn’t begin until this week. It’s still unclear whether the charge against the alleged killer will be for second-degree murder or assisted suicide. Either way, it’s almost certain that he will face jail time, being that suicide is illegal in New York State. However, his defense attorneys are pushing for the lesser charge of manslaughter and a fresh set of jurors to look at the case. They claim that there is new information showing that the speaker researched the cost of funeral arrangements and life insurance policies prior to his death.
Another issue in the case is whether or not the alleged killer’s confession will be admissible in court. If the murder in the second-degree charge stands, he could face twenty-five years to life behind bars. One report claims that the speaker was seen purchasing a water bottle and condoms and walking into a nearby deli prior to his death. Before entering the deli, the speaker supposedly withdrew $200 from a nearby ATM machine.
A witness said he appeared to be walking in a calm, relaxed state but that the next time he saw the speaker was after his death. It was also stated that the speaker’s vehicle was a regular visitor of the area, and that he made a string of calls to a specific apartment in the local housing project. Original reports of the crime stated that it was likely the work of multiple killers and that the speaker may have been visiting prostitutes.
When the speaker didn’t return from the city that night to his Valley Stream residence, his wife contacted authorities. She claimed that he called her earlier to say that he stopped by the bridge to help a fellow driver fix a flat tire. He spent his career in the publication of self-help books and leading people in life-fulfillment workshops. Family and friends portrayed him as a very trusting, generous, and spiritual person.
