Trial of Accused Killer in Manhattan
A man accused of murdering four homeless men in Manhattan reportedly claimed to have heard voices telling him to “kill 40 people” to save himself, as argued by his attorney during a court hearing on Tuesday.
Randy Santos, 31, allegedly committed the violent murders on October 5, 2019, using a metal rod he had discovered to strike the sleeping men in Chinatown. His lawyer contends that Santos was on medication for schizophrenia and believed he was compelled to kill or face death himself.
“For Randy, that was his reality,” said his attorney Marnie Zien from the Legal Aid Society, during her opening remarks at Manhattan Supreme Court. She emphasized that he felt he had no other option to escape the torment of the voices in his head.
Santos, who has spent considerable time in psychiatric facilities since being charged, intends to use a psychiatric defense by admitting to the murders while claiming he was not criminally responsible due to his mental illness.
“The defense doesn’t contest the events that transpired,” Zien explained, noting that Santos sat attentively in the courtroom. “However, what was going through his mind during the crime is where the disagreement lies.”
This trial follows nearly seven years after a series of attacks in which prosecutors allege Santos randomly assaulted six homeless men in Chelsea and Chinatown.
The prosecution presented disturbing evidence, including surveillance footage showing Santos picking up a long metal rod and striking homeless individuals while they slept.
During the court proceedings, Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Alfred Peterson detailed Santos’ escalation of violence, mentioning an earlier instance where Santos chased a homeless man, Kyle Leonard, with a stick.
Peterson characterized the initial assault as a “trial run” leading up to the horrific events on October 5. On that evening, two victims were found next to each other on a cardboard box just before 2 a.m. They were struck in the head with the rod, left unconscious, while Santos sought more victims.
Peterson recounted how Santos returned to the scene, expressing a fear that he hadn’t accomplished his aim. He moved to East Broadway, where he attacked three additional sleeping men.
Among the four victims—Nazario Vázquez Villegas, Chuen Kwok, Anthony Manson, and Florencio Moran Camano—three tragically died, while one managed to survive.
Peterson affirmed that Santos was aware of his actions and their consequences, stating, “(He) knew exactly what he was doing and the consequences of what he was doing and that he was killing these people.”
At the time of the alleged attacks, Santos was 24 years old and had a documented history of violent behavior prior to these killings.
If found guilty of first-degree murder, he faces the possibility of life imprisonment without parole. The trial is anticipated to last about two weeks.
