Squatter convicted of killing woman in NYC apartment, stuffing body into duffel bag sentenced to prison
A woman convicted of killing another woman in a New York City apartment in March 2024 and stuffing her body into a duffel bag was sentenced to prison Friday.
Kensly Alston, 20, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of 52-year-old Nadia Vitels. She was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison.
What happened to Nadia Vitels?
Police said Alston and her boyfriend, Halley Tejada, gained access to the Kips Bay apartment Vitels had just moved into on 31st Street and squatted there for two days.
Alston and Tejada both admitted they beat Vitels to death when she returned to the apartment, then tied her up and stuffed her body in a bag in a closet.
The couple stole Vitels' car and credit cards, buying a diamond to get engaged and setting up a new life in Pennsylvania, which is where they were arrested.
Alston was 18 years old at the time, and Tejada was 19.
Tejada pleaded guilty in December to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 20 years to life in April.
Vitels' son speaks at sentencing
At Friday's hearing, the victim's son, Misha Vitels, said it was him and his mother against the world, and that she had the "most beautiful smile," noting she was "so kind to everyone."
"This murderer took her from me," he told the judge, adding that his "homebase is gone forever."
Misha Vitels described for the judge the frantic search when a friend called to say they hadn't heard from his mother.
"That day – the waiting, the searching, the moment I realized the truth – broke me, and I'll never fully heal," he said.
Misha Vitels also noted a new detail he had learned – that Alston hit his mother in the head with a pan five times.
He said he only gets through the days now because of his mother's lessons about perseverance, resilience and courage.
When the judge asked Alston if she had anything to say, she quietly said, "I'm sorry."
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg called it a "heinous, brutal crime."
"A woman who was starting a new chapter in her life killed in the very home she was moving into, and my heart goes out to the beautiful family," he said.
