Homicide: New York - Where Daphne Abdela & Christopher Vasquez Are Now

Summary Daphne Abdela and Christopher Vasquez were convicted of a brutal murder in Central Park in 1997.

Homicide: New York delves into their crime, trial, and where they are now post-prison release.

Abdela and Vasquez have been living quiet lives since their release, away from the spotlight.

The following article contains graphic descriptions of a violent homicide.

The crimes of Daphne Abdela and Christopher Vasquez are the subjects of the documentary miniseries Homicide: New York and decades after their trial, many are wondering where the two are now. Dick Wolf's television universe is generally comprised of fictional series set in the real world, and occasionally borrowing grisly storylines from real criminal events. Homicide: New York is not the first true crime TV show to come from the mind of Dick Wolf; he's previously done Cold Justice and Criminal Confessions, but this is the first of any of his productions made for Netflix.

Appearing on the streamer on March 20, 2024, each of the five episodes of Homicide: New York focuses on a different murder case that happened in New York City. Episode 2, "Central Park Slaying", concerns the discovery of an eviscerated body floating in Central Park Lake in 1997. The episode covers the lead-up to the events of the murder and the subsequent investigation that takes an unnerving turn when two young teenagers are questioned as potential suspects. Daphne Abdela and Christopher Vasquez are those accused of the crime in this shocking tale.

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Daphne Abdela & Christopher Vasquez's Crimes Explained

Michael McMorrow Was Found Dead In Central Park

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On May 23, 1997, New Yorkers recognized a body floating in the Central Park Lake and called the police to investigate. When they did, they discovered the mutilated corpse of Michael McMorrow, 44, a real estate agent who lived nearby. McMorrow was found with over 30 stab wounds, six of which were to the heart. His abdomen was gutted and his hands and head were almost severed from the body. A senior officer present described the scene, via The New York Times,

"It was an extremely vicious crime. It was one of the worst things I've ever seen."

How Abdela & Vasquez Were Caught

Abdela Initially Called The Police About The Body

It didn't take long for a primary suspect to emerge, however. The police were alerted to the presence of the body by an "anonymous" caller who begged assistance for a friend who, ''...jumped into the lake and didn't come out." The NYPD quickly traced the call to the home of the Abdelas in the affluent Central Park West portion of the city. There they found 15-year-olds Daphne Abdela and Christopher Vasquez in the bathtub washing blood off one another (via Den of Geek).

Initially, Abdela feigned confusion and ignorance and then shifted blame to Vasquez, but her changing stories, knowledge of the body, and blood in her apartment led officers to suspect the pair of the crime. Detectives easily found holes in the two teens' testimonies and after sifting through evidence and alternating stories, the truth came out. Abdela had orchestrated the assault, and Vasquez appeared to be her unwitting and easily kowtowed ally. For their crimes, both were charged with manslaughter in the first degree and sentenced to prison for 3–10 years.

Where Abdela & Vasquez Are Now

Abdela And Vasquez Have Been Living Quiet Lives Since Their 2004 Prison Release

Both Daphne Abdela and Christopher Vasquez were released from prison in 2004 after six years, though Homicide: New York claims Abdela eventually served three more years of her maximum nine-year sentence. In April 2024, The U.S. Sun published the first photos of Abdela in years, showing her, now 41, walking out of a Starbucks in New York, using a cane. It was determined by The Sun that Abdela was now living in City Island in the Bronx.

Less is known about Vasquez. The Sun did track down his residence in 2024 and found him living in Mt. Vernon in the Bronx. When confronted by reporters, Vasquez said,

"I just wanna live my life and let the past be the past."

According to Homicide: New York, and the findings of the detectives afterward, it seems likely the impressionable Vasquez was goaded into the crime, so his wish to be simply left alone does not seem entirely unwarranted.

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