A knife-wielding husband in Harlem decapitated his wife and slashed his five-year-old daughter’s throat before hanging himself in the child’s bedroom Wednesday.
The murder-suicide happened on the second floor of a building located 151 W 121 street, according to the NY Post, which reported that Jennifer Schlecht and her husband Yonathan Tedla were going through a bitter divorce.
The pair was expected to show up at divorce court Wednesday, and when they didn’t Schlecht’s brother became worried and called police. NYPD arrived at their second-floor apartment at 9:20 p.m. and found the family dead.
Investigators told NY Post that believe that Tedla, 46, slashed Schlecht, 42, decapitating her before turning the knife on his daughter then hanging himself. A knife was recovered from the scene.
Police say the couple hadn’t had any previous domestic violence incidents. It was also unclear how long the family had been dead.
Sources told outlets that in 2016, Schlecht allegedly had a temporary restraining order against her husband.
Neighbors in the area were shocked by the news, telling local media that the couple was friendly and seemed happy.
Patricia Brodin, 40, a resident of the block, told NY Post that, “I’m stunted for real. I am stunned because he didn’t look like the type of guy to do a thing like this. He was a really good father. I would always see him take his daughter to school; they always seemed happy.”
Another unidentified neighbor told outlets that “I talked to them every day. I just saw them yesterday, and he seemed fine, he jogs every morning, and I go get my coffee, and we start talking,” said the woman, who didn’t want to be named. “They’re adorable, beautiful, and their daughter is precious.”
Additionally, they added, “Never, not once, and I talked to her personally about her life, and she never mentioned it. We were together for Halloween; she was dressed up; her daughter was dressed up. Just in this world, you never know. This is my first involvement with something this tragic.”
