NYC man, his dad kill mom's new boyfriend — and she helped, prosecutors say
A Manhattan man teamed up with his father to shoot his mother's new fiancé to death — and the mother helped cover up the murder, prosecutors said Monday.
Khaeir Spencer, 20, and Daniel Spencer, 47, pleaded not guilty to murder, assault and criminal possession of a weapon, while Tetikwa Horace, 42, pleaded not guilty to charges of hindering prosecution and tampering with physical evidence in Manhattan Supreme Criminal Court, according to court records.
David Brown, 43, was fatally shot in the torso and leg on Dec. 14 by two masked men in the apartment he shared with Horace in NYCHA's Polo Grounds Towers in Harlem.
Medics rushed him to Harlem Hospital but he could not be saved.
Investigators later retrieved video footage from the building on Frederick Douglass Blvd. near W. 155th St. just before the fatal shooting, showing Horace going into the apartment with her mother and stepfather just minutes before two masked men enter the unit, according to a criminal complaint.
Horace then left with the older couple, removing something from the door frame as she went, according to court papers.
Video showed the masked men remained inside for about two minutes before running from the building, while Brown emerged from the apartment 'appearing to be injured and asking for help,' according to a criminal complaint.
Prosecutors said images of the men taken before they put on masks were recognized to be Daniel Spencer and Khaeir Spencer.
'As alleged, this father-son duo murdered David Brown in his own home,' said District Attorney Bragg. 'Disturbingly, Mr. Brown's girlfriend – the mother of one of the accused – allegedly helped by tampering with evidence and hindering the prosecution of this case. We will seek full accountability for this terrible act of gun violence,' Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said Monday.
When Horace was interviewed by detectives the night of Brown's murder, she said there had been a Ring camera attached to the door frame, but it had not been there that day and she did not take it, according to court papers.
Cops arrested Daniel Spencer in Manhattan on Jan. 16. He pleaded not guilty to charges the following month.
After fleeing Manhattan, Khaeir Spencer was arrested March 4 in Sullivan County. Cellphone records revealed Horace's phone had gone from New York City to Sullivan County the day after Daniel Spencer was arrested, said court papers.
During a police interview in March, Horace maintained she did not let her ex and her son into the apartment, did not take the Ring camera the night of the murder and did not travel to Sullivan County.
Horace was arrested March 17.
A tenant on the same floor where the murder took place told the Daily News after the shooting that she returned from Christmas shopping with her mother to see a group of police officers and crime scene tape blocking off part of their hallway.
'We never had something like that happen on our floor, so finding that out, it actually scared us and shocked us because we didn't know who it was,' the tenant said.
Daniel Spencer and Khaeir Spencer are being held without bail on Rikers Island while Horace was released.
With Emma Seiwell
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
East Nashville residents frustrated by recent car burglaries
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Neighbors in East Nashville said they're sick of petty crime in their community. In the last four weeks, there have been more than 80 reports of vehicle break-ins or vehicle thefts in just one portion of East Nashville, according to 'We don't feel safe. We're frustrated,' Yoko Ono said. Within the last two weeks, Ono's car was broken into twice, with the suspects breaking the same window. Parent says crosswalk at East Nashville elementary school is becoming dangerous Neighbors caught the apparent suspects on camera and agreed they looked like young adults or teenagers. 'From 11 p.m. to 3 a.m., it's their witching hour where they get to go out and get crazy because I guess there's nothing better to do in this area,' Victoria Ochoa said. According to Ochoa, community members start to see a spike in crimes like this after schools get out. 'I've lived here almost three years now. We do see an uptick during Christmas, during spring break, during Thanksgiving holiday, and especially summer,' Ochoa said. Back in January, News 2 reported on dozens of car break-ins from East Nashville to Germantown. | READ MORE | In the last four weeks, there have been 81 reports of vehicle thefts or break-ins in and around Ochoa and Ono's neighborhood. Ono said it's not only an inconvenience to get her car fixed, but it's also a cost burden: 'Filing for the insurance claim and then probably my rate will go up. I'm trying to pay off debt, I'm trying to go to Japan to see family, and it's just been really hard to make those goals happen.' Now Ochoa and Ono have home surveillance cameras set up, so they're constantly watching the video feed. 'I got cameras literally that day…I got them delivered same day; we put them in that night. I said, 'This isn't happening again,'' Ochoa said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Post
a day ago
- New York Post
Arizona medical examiner reveals how killer dad Shawn Ryan Grell died in notoriously violent prison
A murderous dad serving a life sentence for burning his 2-year-old daughter alive 26 years ago died of lung cancer in his cell at a notoriously violent Arizona prison, an autopsy revealed this week. The body of convicted murderer Shawn Ryan Grell, 50, was discovered by authorities in the Arizona State Prison Complex in Tucson on April 19. Officials did not disclose any details about his death at the time. A report from the medical examiner obtained by The Post on Wednesday revealed Grell died of natural causes. Advertisement 5 Shawn Ryan Grell's body was discovered by authorities in the Arizona State Prison Complex on April 19. Arizona Department of Corrections 'The cause of death is ascribed to metastatic non-small cell lung cancer,' wrote Dr. Ryan Bruhns, a medical examiner with the Pima County Medical Examiner's Office. 'The manner of death is natural.' There were no injuries on his body, according to the report. Advertisement Grell's death generated online speculation over whether it was a result of a revenge killing by another inmate, given the horrifying nature of his crime. That speculation came as legislators were calling for sweeping reforms at the Arizona Department of Corrections after three inmates were savagely murdered 15 days before in the same prison complex where Grell died. The three prisoners were killed on April 4 by Ricky Wassenaar, a notorious convict who is serving 16 life sentences for murder and his role in one of the longest prison hostage situations in American history, according to prison officials. 5 Grell was serving a life sentence for killing his 2-year-old daughter over two decades ago. Advertisement 5 The body of Grell's daughter was found just outside Phoenix in 1999. Two of Wassenaar's victims were serving life sentences for sex crimes against a minor, the other was in for raping and murdering a 15-year-old girl. 'Child molesters: I wanted to kill them all. That's all I can say,' he told the Arizona Mirror in a recent phone call. The medical examiner put an end to the online theories. Advertisement 5 A report from the medical examiner obtained by The Post showed Grell died of lung cancer. 'This 50-year-old male inmate at the Arizona State Prison Complex – Tucson…was discovered unresponsive in his bed in the Rincon Unit,' the report read. 'He was pronounced deceased at the scene by an attending physician.' Grell's thin body was delivered to the medical examiner in a white body bag. He weighed just 134 pounds and had bad teeth, according to the report. Grell was serving a life sentence for murdering his daughter over 25 years ago. He picked up Kristen Salem from a Mesa day care on Dec. 2, 1999, and took her to McDonald's for lunch, according to court records. 5 The medical examiner's report put to rest online speculation that another inmate killed Grell. He told the tot they were going to see Christmas lights, reported, but instead he drove to Target to buy a plastic gas can and gasoline, according to court documents. He then drove to the desert outside Mesa, laid his sleeping daughter on the ground, doused her in gasoline and lit her on fire, the records said. Little Kristen woke up and staggered 10 feet while engulfed in flames, before collapsing on the ground. Advertisement He later confessed to the killing at a press conference early the next morning. 'I took the gasoline and I poured it on her,' he told investigators during a videotaped interview. 'I took the match and threw it on her,' he added with no trace of emotion in his voice.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
‘Grinch' who allegedly stole, prowled cars on Christmas in Camas arrested
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Months after a person was caught on camera stealing a car and prowling other vehicles last Christmas, Camas police announced on Wednesday that they have made an arrest in the case. Twenty-three-year-old Jorge Ayala was charged with auto theft, possession of a stolen vehicle, nine counts of vehicle prowl and third-degree theft. According to police, the crimes occurred between 8:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. on Christmas morning 2024 when a dark gray Mazda CX3 with Washington license plate BSD5166 was stolen by a 'Grinch' from the Woodburn Neighborhood then used to drive around the area to prowl other vehicles. Officials said the suspect stole a variety of items from seven vehicles, including garage door openers, a gift card, cash, and a cell phone. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
