Andrew Kissel
Encyclopedia
Andrew Kissel was an American former real estate developer who was found murdered at his rented Greenwich, Connecticut
estate. Kissel had been accused of defrauding a New York
co-op board of millions of dollars.
His body, found by workers from a moving company, was stabbed to death in the basement of the home. Details of his death remained a mystery, as there are many people who had problems with him, including those from the U.S. Justice Department, several multi-billion dollar corporations/conglomerates, and his own wife.
Kissel was a resident of Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey
and later of Saddle River, New Jersey
.
His brother, Robert Kissel, was murdered on November 2, 2003 in the infamous "milkshake murder" in Hong Kong
by his wife, Nancy Kissel.
. He had a great deal of autonomy and sole signing authority over the Board's bank account. He arranged a refinancing plan, to create a reserve fund and pay for renovations to the building, but also siphoned money into his own account, forged signatures, cut and pasted bank statements and eventually embezzled $3.9 million. When the Board confronted him, he confessed and agreed to pay $4.7 million if they agreed to not go public. He paid in October 2003, "confident that the matter had been resolved and the board would not go public."
At the time he was under house arrest and awaiting sentencing in a $20M fraud scheme.
Another item in his car collection was one of the original four 1984 Pontiac
Trans Am
automobiles used in the TV series "Knight Rider". In order to pay off some of the estimated $30 million debt owed to various creditors (including the Internal Revenue Service), many pieces of his collections were sold off. On December 20, 2007 the K.I.T.T. car was listed on eBay
for sale with a starting bid of $20,000, which was met by an unspecified bidder. The eBay auction was later canceled after questions were raised over the authenticity of the vehicle, at a point when numerous bids had pushed the price for the car over $40,000. With its authenticity verified, the car was re-listed on eBay on June 12, 2008, again with a starting bid of $20,000. The auction ended without the previous enthusiasm of the first auction and it was purchased by a friend of George Barris
, the car's creator.
Members of a moving crew arrived at the mansion to complete the move and found Kissel's body, hands and feet bound, in the basement. He had been stabbed to death.
Kissel's chauffeur, Carlos Trujillo, and Trujillo's cousin, Leonard Trujillo, were arrested in March 2008 and charged in his death.
Carlos Trujillo is currently on trial, as of November 2010, in Connecticut State Superior Court in Stamford, CT. He is being defended by attorney Lindy Urso. As of December 16, 2010 he was acquitted of his murder charge but the jury was hung on the attempted murder charge. The state intends to pursue the second charge and Trujillo will remain behind bars on $1 million bond until a trial or plea bargain is brought about.
Greenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 61,171. It is home to many hedge funds and other financial service companies. Greenwich is the southernmost and westernmost municipality in Connecticut and is 38+ minutes ...
estate. Kissel had been accused of defrauding a New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
co-op board of millions of dollars.
His body, found by workers from a moving company, was stabbed to death in the basement of the home. Details of his death remained a mystery, as there are many people who had problems with him, including those from the U.S. Justice Department, several multi-billion dollar corporations/conglomerates, and his own wife.
Kissel was a resident of Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey
Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey
Woodcliff Lake is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the borough population was 5,730.Woodcliff Lake is also the name of the reservoir that lies primarily within the borough, with a small part of it located in neighboring Hillsdale.The borough is an...
and later of Saddle River, New Jersey
Saddle River, New Jersey
Saddle River is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 3,152. Saddle River has the second-highest per-capita income in the state...
.
His brother, Robert Kissel, was murdered on November 2, 2003 in the infamous "milkshake murder" in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
by his wife, Nancy Kissel.
Fraud charges
From 1994 to 2002, Kissel had been the treasurer of the co-op board at 200 East 74th Street in ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. He had a great deal of autonomy and sole signing authority over the Board's bank account. He arranged a refinancing plan, to create a reserve fund and pay for renovations to the building, but also siphoned money into his own account, forged signatures, cut and pasted bank statements and eventually embezzled $3.9 million. When the Board confronted him, he confessed and agreed to pay $4.7 million if they agreed to not go public. He paid in October 2003, "confident that the matter had been resolved and the board would not go public."
At the time he was under house arrest and awaiting sentencing in a $20M fraud scheme.
Collections
Kissel was known for his interest in collectibles and expensive possessions. He owned an 80-foot Lazzara yacht that has been valued at $2.8 million. Among the vehicles in his classic-car collection was a 1957 Mercedes valued at $420,000.Another item in his car collection was one of the original four 1984 Pontiac
Pontiac
Pontiac was an automobile brand that was established in 1926 as a companion make for General Motors' Oakland. Quickly overtaking its parent in popularity, it supplanted the Oakland brand entirely by 1933 and, for most of its life, became a companion make for Chevrolet. Pontiac was sold in the...
Trans Am
Trans Am
Trans Am may refer to:* Trans Am , a U.S. post rock band* Trans Am , 1996 debut album* Trans-Am Series, an automobile racing series* Pontiac Trans Am, an automobile* Tranz Am, a 1983 video game...
automobiles used in the TV series "Knight Rider". In order to pay off some of the estimated $30 million debt owed to various creditors (including the Internal Revenue Service), many pieces of his collections were sold off. On December 20, 2007 the K.I.T.T. car was listed on eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
for sale with a starting bid of $20,000, which was met by an unspecified bidder. The eBay auction was later canceled after questions were raised over the authenticity of the vehicle, at a point when numerous bids had pushed the price for the car over $40,000. With its authenticity verified, the car was re-listed on eBay on June 12, 2008, again with a starting bid of $20,000. The auction ended without the previous enthusiasm of the first auction and it was purchased by a friend of George Barris
George Barris (auto customizer)
George Barris is a designer of custom cars.-Early history:George and his brother Sam were born in Chicago in the 1920s. After the deaths of their parents, they moved to Roseville, California as children to live with relatives. Both were good students, interested in drama, music, and design...
, the car's creator.
Murder and arrests
Kissel and his wife, Hayley, were in the process of moving from the Greenwich house in March 2006. The Kissels were behind in their rent; their landlord had filed a lawsuit claiming the couple had neglected to pay the $14,300 rent for six months. The Kissels had agreed to vacate the premises by March 31.Members of a moving crew arrived at the mansion to complete the move and found Kissel's body, hands and feet bound, in the basement. He had been stabbed to death.
Kissel's chauffeur, Carlos Trujillo, and Trujillo's cousin, Leonard Trujillo, were arrested in March 2008 and charged in his death.
Carlos Trujillo is currently on trial, as of November 2010, in Connecticut State Superior Court in Stamford, CT. He is being defended by attorney Lindy Urso. As of December 16, 2010 he was acquitted of his murder charge but the jury was hung on the attempted murder charge. The state intends to pursue the second charge and Trujillo will remain behind bars on $1 million bond until a trial or plea bargain is brought about.
External links
- WhoKilledAndrewKissel.com
- Newsday Story
- Court TV story
- Blood And Money: '48 Hours' Looks At The Killing Of Two Brothers Thousands Of Miles Apart
- http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15061897/