A 95-year-old woman in Brooklyn has been charged with murder after authorities say she beat her 89-year-old nursing home roommate to death with pieces of a wheelchair. Galina Smirnova was arrested Tuesday, Sept. 16, and arraigned the following day in connection with the killing of Nina Kravtsov, her roommate at the Seagate Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Coney Island. She now faces charges of second-degree murder and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
A Deeply Disturbing Crime Scene
Police caution tape off an intersection during an active investigation following a report of gunfire near Palisade Ave and Somerset St in Garfield Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025.
According to a criminal complaint, staff at the nursing home called police just before 10:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 14, after discovering a grisly scene in the women’s shared room. Kravtsov was found lying in her bed unresponsive, her body covered in blood and her face and head marked with deep gashes. She was rushed to NYU Langone Hospital in Brooklyn but was pronounced dead shortly afterward. The medical examiner determined she had died from blunt force trauma.
Even a Wheelchair Can Be a Weapon
Officers who responded to the nursing home say they found Smirnova in the bathroom. She was wearing a bloodstained hospital gown, with blood also visible on her legs. She was allegedly washing her hands when they entered. Investigators found a wheelchair in the room that had been taken apart, its footrests and legs removed. One of the metal pedals, smeared with blood, was lying on the floor. Another was discovered outside the room beneath a window. Police believe these pieces were used as weapons in the attack.
Where Was The Staff?
Mayra Draughn, Hospice Nurse Manager walks the hall containing hospice patients at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center.
The alleged assault raises unsettling questions about safety in nursing homes and how staff monitor residents, especially those with health or cognitive issues. It is still unclear what, if anything, precipitated the violence between the two women. At Smirnova’s arraignment, prosecutors asked the judge to order a mental health evaluation, citing her age and the nature of the charges. Her attorney opposed the request, and the judge declined to order the assessment at this stage. Smirnova has been remanded into custody and is expected back in court on Friday. Jail records do not specify where she is currently being held.
A Rare Case
Nursing home
Cases involving violence between elderly nursing home residents are rare but not unheard of, often linked to dementia or psychiatric conditions that can go unaddressed in overburdened facilities. For Kravtsov’s family, the loss is especially brutal: their loved one survived nearly nine decades of life only to meet such a violent end in a place meant to provide care and safety. For the community, the case has become another reminder of the vulnerabilities facing America’s rapidly aging population, where the line between caregiving and crisis can be all too thin.
