Squatter Who Killed Woman, Stuffed Her Body In Duffle Bag Gets Prison Sentence

NEW YORK CITY — A squatter convicted of killing a woman in her apartment and stuffing her body in a duffle bag two years ago has been sentenced to prison.

Halley Tejada has been sentenced to 20 years to life in prison in connection to the murder of Nadia Vitels, 52, in her Kips Bay apartment in March 2024.

Tejada pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in December.

Tejada and Kensly Alston had been squatting in the apartment for months. They surprised and beat Vitels to death when she returned to the apartment, police said.

The city's medical examiner said Vitels died from blunt force trauma to the head.

Vitels’ own son and two friends discovered her body in a closet in the apartment.

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. Halley Tejada has been sentenced to a sentence of 20-years-to-life in state prison for his abhorrent and fatal conduct,” District Attorney Alvin 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.”

Tejada and Alston stole Vitels' Lexus and later crashed the car in Pennsylvania. They were both late taken into custody.

Alston's case is still ongoing.