The NY Post has two reports regarding the ongoing investigation of Linda Stein's death. Yesterday the police removed a section of her door in an attempt to get some new clues in the week old case, the frame (which is metal) may hold fingerprints. They also removed part of her bathtub drain and pipe (did the killer wash his/her hands?).
Investigators are saying it could possibly be a "crime of passion" because of how she was killed. To recap, Stein's head and neck were bludgeoned with an unknown, jagged object. No suspects have been named as of yet, but it seems that Stein's former lover, Francisco Arena, and Raul Diaz-Bernal are in the clear for now after being questioned (as both still held keys to her apartment). Though both had recent tension with Stein, neither showed up on the security tapes from the building on the day of the murder.
One person who was definitely in the building and apartment was her younger daughter, Mandy, who found her body. The Daily News explores the idea of Mandy Stein as suspect, but her lawyer says she has an alibi. She met with investigators for two hours this past Saturday - and ran the NYC marathon on Sunday. She seems an unlikely suspect, as she was at a business meeting and wearing the same clothes all day - with no blood found on her.
Also suspected is a construction worker with a burglary record and a swollen hand. The NY Sun reports that Stein was upset about construction work: "During a meeting at her apartment days before she was killed, Stein, 62, shouted at the superintendent of her building, Edmond McQuaid, because of the damage that the roof repairs had caused to her 18th floor apartment, a source close to Stein said." Apparently there were cracks and leaks in her apartment from the work.
As far as any clues Stein herself may have left behind, her emails only turned up business dealings, and police have yet to find her will.
Photo by Mike Nagle.
