Horrified jurors recoiled at the sight of notorious Brooklyn landlord Menachem Stark’s burned, contorted corpse during his accused murderer’s trial Tuesday, as the graphic snaps brought the victim’s family members to tears and sent two of them running from the courtroom.
Stark’s widow, Vashie, and others left after hearing that Medical Examiner Brian O’Reilly would be discussing the nine gruesome images during his testimony on the autopsy. His brother stayed behind.
Accused murderer Kendel Felix looked up at the array of disturbing photos blankly, unfazed by his alleged handiwork.
Prosecutors say Stark was kidnapped by Felix and a group of uncharged cohorts who decided to rob the accused slumlord as he left work in Jan. 2014. Felix panicked, dumping the victim’s body in a Great Neck dumpster and setting it on fire, prosecutors have said.
“There was extreme burning of the clothing,” O’Reilly told jurors, using a laser pointer to trace a projected photo of Stark’s remains, which lay twisted and snow-dusted on a metal table.
“There were burns to his clothes and skin, which extended to his abdominal wall, groin, upper thighs and hands,” the coroner said. He added that one hand had completely “charred off” by the flames, which also ate through Stark’s abdomen, “exposing his abdominal contents, such as intestines and other organs.”
The landlord’s thigh bones were also visible, he said.
Two female jurors covered their eyes as the gallery looked upon a photo of Stark’s burned face — eyelids pulled back by speculums — as O”Reilly discussed how tiny red splotches, called petechial hemorrhages, showed Stark died of asphyxiation.
“I believe the victim was either sat upon, or something very heavy was placed on his chest and neck,” the doctor said, going on to say it took Stark “minutes” to die during the ordeal.
The doctor added he found a singed $40,000 check in Stark’s front vest pocket during his examination of the body.
Other receipts and a comb were found, but the victim’s yarmulke was missing, he told the court.