Posted on 11/10/2006 7:40:00 AM PST by Conservomax
The construction worker accused of killing indie actress .Adrienne Shelly tied a sheet around her neck, dragged the unconscious woman to a bathroom - and strung her up while she was still breathing, sources said yesterday.
Then 19-year-old illegal immigrant Diego Pillco fled the West Village building and calmly went to work at another job site - leaving her to die in what originally appeared to be a suicide, the sources said.
"This woman did not die from a strike to her head," Assistant District Attorney Marit DeLozier said as Pillco was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court.
Pillco "fought with the victim, tied a sheet around her neck and dragged her to the bathroom and hanged her from the curtain rod," DeLozier said.
Calling the case against the suspect "strong," DeLozier said the medical examiner "made it clear, crystal clear, that this victim died from compression to her neck."
"The defendant killed the victim and made it look like a suicide, which is especially egregious," she said.
Pillco told cops he was renovating an apartment directly below the flat Shelly used as an office last Wednesday when she came down to complain about the noise and they got into a screaming match.
The Ecuadoran immigrant confessed he threw a hammer at the 40-year-old married mom and - fearing that he might be deported - followed her upstairs when she threatened to call police, he told cops.
When they reached her door, Pillco said Shelly slapped him and he knocked her out with a punch. Then, unable to detect a heartbeat, Pillco said he dragged her to the bathroom to stage a suicide, sources said.
But in doing so, Pillco stood on the toilet and left behind a sneaker print that cops used to tie him to the cold-blooded crime, sources said.
Pillco said nothing at the hearing and did not enter a plea.
His Legal Aid lawyer, Thomas Klein, asked that the slightly built suspect be placed in protective custody and on suicide watch - standard procedure for high profile prisoners.
Meanwhile, Shelly's heartbroken husband, Andrew Ostroy, who had insisted that his wife would never kill herself, was left to mourn the actress, best known for roles in indie hits like "Trust," "Teresa's Tattoo" and last year's "Factotum."
"He's still in shock," a family friend said. "I don't know if he'll ever get over this."
The 47-year-old marketing executive who runs a liberal blog was holed up in his Tribeca loft with the couple's 2-year-old daughter, Sophie. In Jericho, L.I., where Shelly grew up, her mother, Elaine Langbaum, sat shiva.
Pillco worked for a Brooklyn-based construction firm called the BCG, which issued a statement saying the suspect worked only part time "because of his immigrant status."
Pillco lived with his brother, Wilson, in the basement of a building on the outskirts of Park Slope owned by his employer. And residents said he worked every day of the week except Saturday - and then toiled as the building's unofficial super.
Neighbor Delmi Restituyo, 32, said Pillco told her he paid $12,000 to get smuggled into the U.S. in July. "He worked so hard to support his family and pay off his debt," said Restituyo, 32.
At the Abingdon Square building where Shelly was murdered, some residents remembered Pillco differently. "I was walking down the stairs and I felt his stare," said Sara Moore, 72. "Only a woman would know."
And our politicians keep ignoring the will of the people.
Both parties, R and D alike, are self-serving not people serving.
Threw a hammer at the mom, fearing he might(might)be deported?
This is the fault of you flag waving deportation supporters
you are driving these undocumented workers to throw hammers at angry moms! They are afraid of deportation so they throw HAMMERS.
I would like to see this slightly built Ecuadorian hammered a few times then hung in a bathroom until dead. This just screams out get these freaking a**h*l*s out of our
freaking country!
This monster should be released in Times Square to be torn to pieces by the public. Animals like this are not worthy of a trial.
ping
One of the libs at my job (from Greenwich, CT, of course) gave me a look when I mentioned that the poor woman had been murdered by an illegal immigrant. We have enough problems with our native born murderers - let's get rid of this group!
I still do not know who she is and I have never heard of her. Is my age showing?
I heard a pre-election ad on the radio that stated there were more Americans killed last year by illegal aliens than we had combat losses in Iraq.
Very sad. Does anyone know what the name of her husbands blog is?
Perhaps he could be sent to D.C. to work on Pelosi's office rehab.
I know. It happens all the time here in Florida.
"He was such a good boy."
Why do these articles always have some inane quote like this? Usually it's the perp's mother or some close female relative. The guy is obviously a monster.
They are just throwing the hammers at the 5'2" mothers of three year olds that Americans are to lazy to throw.
It must have been awful for the family to be told initially that she had committed suicide (if that is what the police first told them). At least that is what appeared in the newspapers originally. A beautiful young woman . . .
Her life cost 12 Grand.
I'm waiting for the followup story and watch him simply get deported.
Pinging Dane so that he can tell us how wonderful the illegal alien criminals are. /sarc
Doesn't it make one feel all warm and fuzzy just knowing our country is about to be given away to people illegally in the country. There will soon be 160+ million new citizens soon (illegals here plus their family members), once amnasty (spelled such on purpose) is passed and signed. Be ready for such things (murder, rape, etc.) to be more widespread as our new citizens make themselves at home in the good ole US of A. My pocketbook is already feeling the pinch, so I'm wondering how we are going to pay for this 'free ride'
Not a problem. The Dems are about to make Mr. Pillco a US citizen.
We can see how much he respected this country and its citizens. He was here to take advantage and he wasn't going to let some American get in his way.
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