The twisted Staten Island teen accused of decapitating his mother’s boyfriend eerily stared, with an oddly calm expression on his face, as he pleaded not responsible to the ugly homicide Friday.
Damien Hurstel, 19, shuffled unbothered right into a Richmond County courtroom, for the primary time since he allegedly killed, beheaded and mutilated Anthony Casalaspro, 45, final week inside their shared West Brighton residence.
“Sure,” Hurstel, his messy hair protecting one eye, mentioned as Decide Raymond Rodriguez requested if he was pleading not responsible to the homicide cost — the one phrase he uttered throughout the listening to.
Seven of his relations quietly sat within the courtroom because the gaunt teen walked in, clad in a rumpled orange jumpsuit and bearing a distant, unusually serene expression.
The apparently mentally unwell Hurstel had beforehand been arraigned by video from a hospital mattress days after allegedly stabbing, killing and butchering Casalaspro — a sanitation employee — on Oct. 6.
A blood-soaked Hurstel allegedly confirmed his 16-year-old little sister the mutilated physique throughout a horrific encounter inside their Cary Avenue residence.
Their mom, Alicia Zayas, beforehand advised The Put up that Hurstel tried to elucidate what occurred.
“How he was going to repair every thing, prefer it might be fastened,” Zayas mentioned in disbelief, tears streaming down her face.
Hurstel’s sister ran outdoors, hid and made a chilling name to Zayas.
“She mentioned, ‘Damien killed Anthony, and he doesn’t have a head,’” Zayas mentioned.
A grisly crime scene photograph reveals Casalaspro’s severed head mendacity subsequent to his corpse inside the house’s walk-in bathe, with a bowl and a noticed on the ground close by.
The deal with of a silver-colored spoon might be seen protruding of the dismembered cranium, together with a plastic sauce ladle on the dismembered physique’s chest, the photograph reveals.
Legislation enforcement sources mentioned Hurstel allegedly confessed, telling cops he deliberate to get rid of Casalaspro’s physique by slicing it into items and pulverizing the elements in a blender, beginning with the mind.
In court docket, Hurstel didn’t seem affected by the horror of his alleged crime.
He stared straight forward with out attempting to maneuver his head to comb his wavy hair from protecting his eye.
The choose ordered that Hurstel keep jailed and proceed receiving medical consideration and psychiatric care, in addition to stay on suicide watch.
Hurstel is subsequent scheduled to seem in court docket Nov. 20.
Zayas declined to remark after the listening to.
