New Rochelle police say Kenya Tilford charged in gruesome killing of her roommate
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. -- CBS New York has learned disturbing details about a crime in Westchester County.
A woman is being held without bail, accused of killing her roommate and hiding her body in their apartment.
CBS New York has learned new details, including how police say they broke the suspect's alibi.
Franklin Avenue in New Rochelle is a generally quiet street with well-kept multi-family homes. At 155 Franklin, there was a gruesome find. Police discovered the body of a woman in a storage bin in a third-floor apartment.
"I just saw her last week. This is very tragic," Gyllian Dunkley said.
Dunkley said she knows the victim, who police have not formally identified.
"Very, very kind, had a heart of gold. She was just looking for shelter, and friendship," Dunkley said.
The felony complaint details charges against 40-year-old Kenya Tilford, accusing her of suffocating her roommate and then concealing the body for at least a week.
Police say on Friday, someone reported seeing the body. A quick investigation led them to Tilford and she was in custody by that afternoon.
According to court documents, Tilford told New Rochelle police she was out of town last week, in Virginia, but police had evidence that was a lie. The evidence was Tilford seen on surveillance video earlier in the week at the nearby Home Depot store.
The felony complaint says she obtained a coverall, bleach, tarps, a storage bin, and a chainsaw. The body, however, was not found dismembered.
Dunkley said she considered the suspect menacing.
"She pretends to have this good image, but she has a black soul. She should never be let out of prison for the rest of her life," Dunkley said.
In the complaint there are hints of a possible defense. Tilford told police she used drugs and took meds to treat mental illness.
A judge remanded Tilford to the Westchester County Jail. She's due in court on Oct. 10.