An 83-year-old woman out on parol was arraigned for allegedly murdering 68-year-old Susan Leyden on Brooklyn, prosecutors announced Wednesday.
Harvey Marcelin was charged with first- and second-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence and concealment of a human corpse. She was ordered to be held without bail and to return to court on May 19, 2022.
“This shocking and horrific murder ended the life and desecrated the remains of a beloved member of the Brooklyn community, and her family and many friends continue to be in my prayers,” said District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. “Few crimes in my long career as a prosecutor rise to this level of extreme depravity, and we will vigorously pursue justice on Ms. Leyden’s behalf.”
According to the investigation, surveillance footage taken on Feb. 27 allegedly showed Leyden, a Clinton Hill resident, entering Marcelin’s apartment on Pennsylvania Avenue in East New York, and she was never seen leaving the apartment alive. Additional footage allegedly showed Marceline rolling a wheeled shopping bag containing a black plastic bag on March 2. Leyden’s torso was discovered in that bag in the early morning hours of March 3. On March 7, one of Leyden’s legs was found near a garbage can about three blocks away.
A subsequent search of Marcelin’s apartment allegedly uncovered Leyden’s head and other limbs, as well as blood, cleaning supplies, a hammer, and a box of an electric saw. Additional surveillance video allegedly showed Marcelin saw and cleaning supplies in a Manhattan Home Depot around the time of Leyden’s disappearance.
Marcelin was taken into custody on March 10 on charges of tampering with physical evidence and concealment of a human corpse, with charges being upgraded to murder the next day. On October 16, 1963, the defendant was convicted of first-degree murder in Manhattan, forming the basis of the first-degree murder charge in this case.
The Medical Examiner determined that Leyden suffered blunt force trauma to her head and other physical injuries to her body. The investigation found that Marcelin and Leyden lived in the same shelter in the Bronx in 2019, but the nature of their relationship is unclear.
If convicted, Marcelin faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted of the top count.
