Torso in suitcase: Chilling confession of New York City roommate murder

The suspect, Christian Millet, was the roommate of 65-year-old Edwin Echevarria. Echevarria’s torso was found inside a floating suitcase in the East River on February 5. The two lived together in an apartment on Columbia Street in the Lower East Side.

Crime scene discovery

During the investigation, police found blood-soaked paper towels in the apartment. A sharp screwdriver, suspected to be the murder weapon, was also recovered.

Suspect confesses to brutal murder

Millet was arraigned in court on Thursday. Prosecutors claimed that Echevarria had been a “grandfather figure” in the suspect’s life, as reported by The New York Times. The 23-year-old confessed to killing his roommate after experiencing an “insane urge to kill.”

He was arrested on February 12 on charges of second-degree murder and is being held without bail.

Gruesome details of the murder

Millet allegedly pushed Echevarria to the ground and stomped on his head. According to ABC News, he then stabbed the victim 12-13 times before dismembering him in a bathtub. The 23-year-old cut the body into pieces and stuffed them into a suitcase in an attempt to dump them into the ocean.

However, police have only recovered the torso from the East River, while the location of the remaining body parts remains unknown. Christian Millet does not have a criminal history in New York City.

Suspect’s connection to victim’s ex-girlfriend

Echevarria’s daughter, Jennifer Matthews, alleged that Millet was related to her father’s ex-girlfriend. She had strongly urged her father not to let Millet move in.

“I didn’t find out until my dad was missing that he had moved back in with my father,” she told Gothamist.

Matthews claimed that some relatives had accused Millet of being abusive toward her father. However, she insisted that her father still tried to be a positive influence in the suspect’s life.

“He always loved helping people, and that’s what he was trying to do for his ex-girlfriend’s grandson — trying to be a positive father figure to him,” she added.

Victim was on call during the attack

Echevarria’s nephew, Eric Maldonado, claimed that his uncle was on a phone call when Millet allegedly attacked him.

“He was talking to his friend on the phone, and his friend heard the argument—then he heard some loud banging, grunting, and moaning,” Maldonado told The New York Post. The friend’s identity was not disclosed.

Maldonado further alleged that Echevarria took Millet in out of pity, as the suspect had been kicked out by his mother. He also said that Echevarria refused to remove Millet despite multiple warnings from relatives.

“He was killed by someone he trusted. My brother kept telling him, ‘Get him out! Get him out!’ But my uncle felt bad for the kid and kept defending him,” he explained.