A 19-year-old teenager, Damien Hurstel, confessed to police about brutally killing his mother’s boyfriend, Anthony Casalaspro, by bludgeoning him with a meat tenderiser. Hurstel admitted that he had planned to liquefy the victim’s body in a blender and dispose of it down the toilet, starting with the brain. Law enforcement sources revealed these details to the New York Post.
Hurstel is set to face charges of murder and criminal possession of a weapon. The victim, Casalaspro, was found with multiple stab wounds to the neck and head, which had been removed using a hacksaw. Hurstel informed the police that the killing occurred following an argument with his mother, Alicia Zayas.
The gruesome discovery of Casalaspro’s decapitated body was made by Hurstel’s 16-year-old sister when she returned home. Hurstel allegedly confessed to his sister that he had done something wrong and tried to shield her from the horrifying sight. The mother, upon being informed, displayed intense emotions of shock and distress upon arriving at the scene.
Witnesses observed Hurstel, wearing blood-stained clothing, being escorted out of the house by authorities. Despite his appearance with blood specks on his face, onlookers described him as calm and relieved as he cooperated with officers, entering a patrol car without resistance.
Reports suggest that Hurstel has a history of mental illness, possibly being schizophrenic, as indicated by a property manager speaking to local news outlets. The victim, Casalaspro, was a former employee of New York’s Department of Sanitation who had to retire due to severe vision loss.
Casalaspro had been in a relationship with Hurstel’s mother for nearly six years, and according to a close friend, they had experienced challenges with the children. While Hurstel could exhibit a pleasant demeanor at times, his friend mentioned ongoing mental health struggles during his school years.
Hurstel was scheduled for arraignment on charges of murder and criminal possession of a weapon, but reportedly experienced a seizure while en route to a Staten Island courthouse, necessitating a hospital visit.