Squatter Murdered Woman, Stuffed Her Body in Duffel Bag, Then Bought PlayStation With Her Credit Card. Now He Learns Fate
Halley Tejada, one of two people police said were squatting in the unit, pleaded guilty in the 2024 killing of 52-year-old Nadia Vitels
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Credit : Nadia Vitels/Facebook
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Halley Tejada was sentenced April 14, 2026, to 20 years to life after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in the killing of Nadia Vitels
Police said Tejada and co-defendant Kensly Alston had been squatting in the apartment
Vitels, 52, was found dead inside a duffel bag in her Manhattan apartment in March 2024
A man accused of killing a New York City woman whose body was found stuffed inside a duffel bag in her apartment has been sentenced to 20 years to life in prison.
Halley Tejada was sentenced in Manhattan Supreme Court after pleading guilty to second-degree murder on Dec. 17, 2025, according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
“Nadia Vitels was about to start a new chapter of her life when Halley Tejada brutally murdered her in the very apartment she was moving into,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr. said in a statement shared with PEOPLE. “Halley Tejada has been sentenced to a sentence of 20-years-to-life in state prison for his abhorrent and fatal conduct.”
“My thoughts are with Ms. Vitels’ loved ones who continue to mourn her painful loss,” Bragg added. “I know this sentence will not bring her back, but I hope it can serve as a measure of comfort.”
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Barry Williams for New York Daily News via Getty
Prosecutors had sought a sentence of 25 years to life, but Tejada ultimately received the lesser term offered by the court, the district attorney’s office said.
PEOPLE previously reported that Vitels, 52, was found dead inside a duffel bag in her Kips Bay apartment on March 14, 2024. Her son discovered her body in a closet, according to CBS New York.
According to an April 2024 indictment announced by Bragg’s office, Tejada and co-defendant Kensly Alston allegedly entered Vitels’ apartment while she was moving belongings into the unit and remained inside when she returned days later with her dog.
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Dauphin County Prison
Police said the pair had been squatting in the apartment at the time, per CBS New York.
Prosecutors alleged the two beat Vitels to death and concealed her body inside a bag in a coat closet.
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Kyle Mazza/NurPhoto via AP
The indictment further alleged that the pair fled to Pennsylvania in Vitels’ car and used her credit cards to make multiple purchases, including a PS5, AirPods, clothing, food and a diamond ring.
The man and woman were initially charged with burglary, robbery and concealment of a corpse, among other offenses, according to the indictment.
Alston has pleaded not guilty and her case remains pending.
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