A 25-year-old Queens man has been charged with second-degree murder after prosecutors say he repeatedly stabbed his 76-year-old father inside the family home and then told arriving officers to "check on the guy downstairs," according to court filings and statements made during an arraignment Monday.
Police say officers were called to the four-bedroom house late Saturday night after a different son dialed 911. Authorities discovered the elder man, identified by prosecutors as John Muraco, dead inside the residence. Assistant District Attorney Jennie Evangelista told a Queens judge that video footage and "statements and admission made" by the suspect indicate he stabbed his father multiple times in the torso.
The defendant, identified by prosecutors as Carl Muraco, was arrested at the scene and appeared in court Monday with a large bandage wrapped around his right hand. He remained largely silent during the proceeding, according to court observers. He faces charges of second-degree murder and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
Defense attorney Indira Khan told Queens Judge Sharifa Nasser-Cuellar that Muraco appeared disoriented and requested a medical and psychological evaluation for her client. The judge granted the request and ordered the defendant remanded pending further proceedings. Muraco’s next court date is Sept. 19.
Prosecutors did not provide a motive during the arraignment and said additional investigative steps are ongoing. A neighbor told reporters the elder Muraco lived at the home with his wife and that other family members may have lived there at times. The neighbor described the victim as friendly and expressed shock over the killing.
Video evidence and the statements referenced in the criminal complaint are part of the district attorney’s case, the prosecutor said. No further details about the contents of the footage or the exact circumstances leading up to the stabbing were released at the arraignment.
The house where the killing occurred is a four-bedroom property in Queens that has been described in public records as worth roughly $1 million. Local residents said they were trying to come to terms with the death of an elderly neighbor.
Under New York law, second-degree murder carries a wide range of potential sentences; the case will proceed through the local court system while authorities complete their investigation and the court orders the defense evaluation. The arraignment came less than 48 hours after police responded to the home, and officials said the investigation remains active.
No additional suspects have been publicly identified. Authorities asked anyone with information about the incident to contact the Queens District Attorney’s office or the local police precinct.
