Man Who Killed, Dismembered Woman Gets 27 Years Behind Bars

A 34-year-old man in New York City who was convicted of killing and dismembering a woman was sentenced to 27 years to life in prison Friday.

Daquan Wheeler, of the Bronx, was convicted of murder and other charges in April in the death of 25-year-old Lisa Marie Velasquez, whose body parts were found in two New York City parks in 2018, CBS News reported.

“It was a horrifying series of acts against a woman who had come to the aid of her friend, who lived with the defendant,” Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark wrote in a press release.

“He mercilessly struck the victim with a hammer, then strangled her with a cord. The victim’s remains were placed in trash bags and the defendant and the friend Ms. Velasquez was trying to help dumped the bags in two Bronx parks,” Clark continued.

Velasquez was killed by Wheeler at an apartment he shared with the mother of his child, who was a friend of Velasquez, according to prosecutors.

The victim had gone to the Foxhurst apartment to help her friend Ciara Martinez, who had been fighting with Wheeler, the New York Post reported, citing officials.

“Lisa Velasquez was killed for trying to do the right thing,” Assistant District Attorney Newton Mendys was quoted as saying by New York Daily News, adding that Velasquez was helping mediate between the couple to “help them better communicate.”

However, Wheeler flew into a rage after learning that Velasquez called 911 to report the domestic dispute, a jury found.

Wheeler struck Velasquez in the head with a hammer and repeatedly hit her with the tool. He then wrapped an electrical cord around the victim’s neck and dragged her body into a bathtub before dismembering her and placing the remains in trash bags, prosecutors said.

He enlisted Martinez to help him dismember the victim and conceal body parts across the Bronx, according to prosecutors. Martinez also helped clean up the apartment after the murder.

Martinez testified against Wheeler in exchange for reduced charges. She is set to be sentenced Tuesday to time served on a conspiracy charge.

Velasquez's death came more than a decade after she had witnessed the brutal murder of her mother and unborn sister.

Velasquez's mother, Marilyn Ginel, was nearly nine months pregnant when she was murdered by ex-boyfriend Robert Coakley in 2006, according to the New York Post. Velasquez, who was 12 at the time, witnessed the horrific act along with her two siblings.