A woman on the verge of a fresh start instead met a brutal and tragic end inside the very apartment she had just begun to call home.
Nadia Vitels, 52, was preparing to move into her Kips Bay apartment in Manhattan in March 2024 when her life was violently cut short. More than two years later, one of the people responsible for her death has been sentenced, bringing a measure of closure to a case that shocked New York City.
Halley Tejada was sentenced on April 14, 2026, to 20 years to life in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder. The sentence was handed down in Manhattan Supreme Court, according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors had sought a harsher sentence of 25 years to life, but the court ultimately imposed the lesser term.
In a statement following the sentencing, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr. described the killing as both brutal and deeply tragic.
“Nadia Vitels was about to start a new chapter of her life when Halley Tejada brutally murdered her in the very apartment she was moving into,” Bragg said. “My thoughts are with Ms. Vitels’ loved ones who continue to mourn her painful loss. I know this sentence will not bring her back, but I hope it can serve as a measure of comfort.”
The details of the case paint a chilling picture of vulnerability and violence. According to prosecutors, Tejada and his co-defendant, Kensly Alston, had been squatting inside Vitels’ apartment without her knowledge while she was in the process of moving her belongings into the unit.
Authorities allege that the pair entered the apartment and remained there, waiting. Days later, when Vitels returned with her dog, she encountered them — a moment that would prove fatal.
On March 14, 2024, Vitels’ body was discovered by her son. She had been stuffed inside a duffel bag and hidden in a closet inside the apartment, turning what should have been a place of safety into a crime scene of unimaginable horror.
Following the killing, prosecutors said Tejada and Alston fled New York, driving to Pennsylvania in Vitels’ car. During that time, they allegedly used her credit cards to fund a spree of purchases, including a PlayStation 5, AirPods, clothing, food, and even a diamond ring.
The indictment, announced in April 2024, initially charged both defendants with burglary, robbery, and concealment of a corpse, among other offenses. Tejada later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in December 2025, avoiding a trial.
Alston, however, has pleaded not guilty and remains awaiting trial. Her case is still pending.
