Daughter-In-Law, 3 Others Arrested In Stabbing Death Of Rockland County Grandmother

NEW YORK(CBSNewYork) -- Police arrested the daughter-in-law and three other women in the murder of a popular Rockland County widow and grandmother.

Peggy Nadell, 81, was killed in her Valley Cottage home back in January.

Clarkstown Police announced the arrest of her 50-year-old daughter-in-law Diana Nadell, of Cutler Bay, Fla., Wednesday.

Andrea Benson, 25, Tanisha Joyner, 26, and Elita Grant, 24, were also arrested. Nadell and Benson face murder charges. All four face conspiracy charges.

Benson and Joyner are from Washington, D.C. Grant is from East Long Beach, Calif. All four are awaiting extradition to New York.

Details of how the four are connected in the alleged conspiracy or the specific allegations of what police believe happened haven't yet been released.

There were no obvious signs of forced entry and the scene was ambiguous enough for detectives to initially consider the possibility of a freak accident. The medical examiner found evidence of additional traumatic injury and the case was labeled a homicide.

The murder left neighbors shaken.

The victim was well known in the halls of local government buildings where many people referred to her as a Democratic party activist with a big heart. The police chief personally notified top town officials of the crime.

"When I was told it was her by the chief it just made no sense," Clarkstown Supervisor Alexander Gromack told CBS 2's Lou Young back in January.

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