'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Menachem Stark, a real estate developer and Satmar Hasidic community member from Williamsburg, New York, was brutally killed in a kidnapping gone wrong in January 2014. His story is the focus of the New York Homicide episode set to air on April 5, 2025, at 9 pm ET on Oxygen.
Stark's body was discovered partially burned in a dumpster on Long Island, and the arrest and conviction of several people involved in the crime followed a far-reaching investigation.
According to a report from NBC New York (June 6, 2019), Stark died from asphyxia caused by compression of the neck and chest during the kidnapping. Stark was kidnapped on January 2, 2014, outside his office in Williamsburg in the middle of a blizzard.
The incident was caught on surveillance cameras showing Stark being attacked before he was dragged into a van. The kidnappers were Erskin Felix and his cousin Kendel Felix, who had intended to extort money from Stark, telling him that he owed them money.
Trending
Demons from hell invading our world? Check out Netflix's new show HERE.
According to the same NBC New York report, Menachem Stark tried to free himself, but was held down with duct tape and a ski mask. The abductors disposed of his body in a Great Neck dumpster on Long Island and set it on fire.
The kidnapping of Menachem Stark
According to NBC New York (June 6, 2019), Menachem Stark's kidnapping on January 2, 2014, was a failed bid to extort him. Erskin Felix, an employee of Stark, planned the kidnap, alleging Stark had owed him money for building services. Felix hired his cousins, including Kendel Felix, to assist in kidnapping Stark.
The abduction went awry as the plan was to hog-tie Stark inside a van, but he asphyxiated because of being tied up. According to a CBS News report dated October 21, 2016, the kidnappers initially intended to hold Stark for ransom, but found themselves dealing with an unintended death, leading them to dispose of his body in a dumpster and set it on fire to cover their tracks.
The investigation and the arrests
According to a Patch report dated December 21, 2016, after Stark's body was found, an investigation resulted in the arrest of four cousins: Erskin Felix, Kendel Felix, Kendall Felix, and Irvine Henry.
Erskin Felix was found to be the mastermind of the kidnapping plot. He and his cousin Kendall Felix were charged with kidnapping and murder, while Kendall Felix and Irvine Henry were charged with conspiracy and evidence tampering.
According to NBC New York (June 6, 2019), the suspects tried to cover their tracks by dumping his body, which was found 17 hours later.
Legal proceedings and sentencing
According to NBC New York (June 6, 2019), the legal proceedings for the Menachem Stark case included several convictions and sentencing. Erskin Felix was sentenced to 24 years to life in prison in June 2019 for first-degree kidnapping, second-degree murder, and tampering with evidence.
Kendel Felix was convicted of second-degree murder and kidnapping of Menachem Stark in May 2019 and sentenced to up to 25 years to life in prison.
According to Patch (December 21, 2016), the other suspects were charged with multiple crimes involving conspiracy and tampering with evidence, noting the serious repercussions of violent crimes and the significance of justice for victims and their relatives.
Viewers can watch New York Homicide on Oxygen for more insights into the murder.
