By The newspaper
05 Mar 2024, 02:35 AM EST
Anya Johnston (29) was found guilty of stabbing to death her 70-year-old neighbor, Susan Trott, in the victim’s apartment on the Upper West Side of Manhattan (NYC).
Trott, an advertising executive who worked for Levi’s, MoMA and Panasonic, was found with a fatal cut to her neck on October 17, 2018 after her business partner called 911 and said she had not been seen in days.
There were no signs of forced entry at his apartment at 710 West End Avenue. According to the police, she had been killed four days before. Johnston lived in the same building, one floor above Trott. She was 24 years old at the time and was arrested shortly after her body was found. Yesterday a jury found her guilty of murder, but there was no apparent motive for the crime. She is expected to be sentenced on May 1, she noted. ABCNews.
“She did it because she was crazy.”
During the trial, defense attorney Jeremy Schneider left no doubt about the homicide. “Sue Trott was murdered on October 17 by that young woman [Johnston], stabbing her with a distinctive knife he bought on Amazon nine months earlier? Everyone agrees with it,” she said, quoted by West Side Rag. But she justified that “She did it because she was crazy.”
“Today, a jury found Anya Johnston guilty of the gruesome and fatal stabbing of her elderly neighbor Susan Trott, a vibrant and talented woman who was loved by her family and friends,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said yesterday in a statement.
“Ms Johnston’s atrocious and calculated actions reflected a blatant disregard for Ms Trott’s life, as she left her body to decompose for almost four days after the stabbing. I hope the accountability delivered by today’s guilty verdict can bring comfort to Ms. Trott’s loved ones. who continue to recover from the deep trauma her death has caused.”
Domestic violence is common in New York City and surrounding areas, between relatives, roommates and partners, even with minor victims. Every day in NYC, an average of 747 incidents of domestic violence are reported, including assaults, abuse, verbal abuse, and about 65 homicides annually.
In a similar case, in January a 73-year-old man who suffers from mental illness was burned by a violent neighbor to whom he owed $100, a debt he had already paid, according to his sister.
In December, a grand jury in Queens (NYC) indicted Kevin Ogara on charges of involuntary manslaughter and criminal negligence for allegedly pushing his 60-year-old neighbor René Montalvo Peredo down a staircase in their apartment building. Apparently the immigrant from Bolivia came home drunk and knocked on the wrong door by mistake.
If you are a victim or suspect that someone is being abused, especially if it is a minor or elderly:
I looked for help
- Call 911, 988 or (800)-942-6906.
- Text “WELL” to 65173.
- Review information at https://nycwell.cityofnewyork.us/es/ and www.988lineadevida.org