Episode 2 of Homicide: New York looks at the murder of Michael McMorrow and the two teenagers found responsible for the brutal slaying: Daphne Abdela and Christopher Vasquez. Though it remains unclear who stabbed and gutted McMorrow, the detectives who investigated the case are confident that Vazquez and Abdela were guilty of murder.
Daphne Abdela has kept a low profile since her release from prison in January 2004
In April 1998, A New York judge sentenced Daphne Abdela to 39 months to 10 years in prison after she pled guilty to manslaughter. “I can never say in a million words how sorry I am,” Abdela said during her sentencing. “Although it will not bring back Michael McMorrow, it is said from the heart and meant.”
Nearly three years later, Abdela testified in court for the first time during a wrongful death suit filed by McMorrow’s family; she laid the blame squarely on Vasquez’s feet. In August 2002, the parole board denied Abdela’s early release, citing behavioral issues and a ‘total disregard for human life.’
Abdela and Vasquez, who was found guilty of manslaughter, were released on parole in January 2004. The parole terms prevented them from contacting each other. An investigator speaking in Homicide: New York said Abdela served the entire sentence in prison after violating parole.
She reappeared on the news in 2009 after filing a car accident lawsuit. Abdela said she suffered ‘serious personal injuries’ from the April 2009 crash. Since then, Abdela has maintained a low profile.