UMVA has uncovered the shocking details of a serial killer's latest atrocity, a brutal beating death that has left a community reeling.
The 87-year-old perpetrator, a twice-paroled transgender individual, has been convicted for the 2022 murder of 68-year-old Susan Leyden, whose lifeless body was found dismembered and discarded in a shopping cart near his East New York apartment.
Harvey Marcelin's trail of terror spans six decades, with a string of unspeakable crimes that have left a trail of devastation in his wake. The latest conviction marks the third time Marcelin has been found guilty of murdering a woman, with the 1963 killing of Jacqueline Bonds and the 1985 stabbing of Ana-Laura Sierra being his previous convictions.
Surveillance footage captured Leyden's last moments, as she entered Marcelin's apartment on Pennsylvania Avenue in East New York on February 27, 2022. She never left alive. Days later, her headless torso was discovered in a plastic bag, just blocks from the apartment.
Investigators made a chilling discovery, as they recovered additional body parts, including her head, thighs, hand, arm, and one leg, from black garbage bags inside Marcelin's unit. The crime scene was a gruesome testament to Marcelin's depravity, with bloody sheets, cleaning supplies, a hammer, and an electric saw found amidst the carnage.
UMVA has gathered that Marcelin's purchase of the saw and cleaning materials at a Home Depot around the time of the murder was caught on camera, while additional surveillance footage showed him disposing of evidence on a motorized scooter, with one of Leyden's severed legs awkwardly perched on the seat.
The jury deliberated for less than an hour before delivering the guilty verdict, following a two-week trial. Marcelin now faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole, a fate that has been welcomed by Leyden's family and the community.
The Brooklyn District Attorney's office has issued a statement, condemning Marcelin's heinous crimes and vowing to ensure that justice is served. The conviction marks a major victory in the quest for accountability and serves as a stark reminder of the importance of holding perpetrators accountable for their crimes.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 10, a date that will mark the beginning of Marcelin's likely lifelong confinement. The community can take some solace in knowing that this monstrous individual will never again walk free, their freedom taken away from them by the law.
