Kendal Felix has confessed to killing landlord Menachem “Max” Stark (inset)
A St. Lucian-born man has confessed to the abduction and killing of a Brooklyn landlord because his father – a preacher – taught him not to lie, according to court documents revealed earlier this month by the New York Post.
Felix, 26, was arrested in April and pleaded not guilty on July 11 to murder and kidnapping in the death of Menachem “Max” Stark who was abducted while leaving his office during a snowstorm on January 2, 2014. His charred body was later found in a garbage bin.
Felix was reportedly asked by police if his father taught him to speak the truth.
“Detective, you are right about that and I want to speak truthful about what happened,” Felix responded, according to the documents.
The defendant then went on to spill the beans.
He told investigators that his boss, identified only as “Erskine” approached him in December 2013 and complained that “Max” [Stark] owed him money and that if Felix helped him force Stark to pay up, that he would give him a cut, said the documents, which were released after the suspect’s arraignment in Brooklyn Supreme Court.
On the day of the murder, January 2, Felix and Erskine allegedly lay in wait as snow fell outside Stark’s Williamsburg office, The Post reported.
“Erskine told [Felix] that when Max comes out that he should distract him . . . When Max came out of his office [Felix] said he got out of the van and called to Max,” cops wrote in the documents, paraphrasing Felix’s confession.
“At that point, Erskine came out from the other side of the van and rushed up to Max. Kendal claimed to be a weakling so he didn’t really get involved with scuffling with Max as Erskine was.”
The two men then forced the struggling Stark into a van, the papers said.
“Erskine was directing [Felix] where to drive as he was trying to tie up and tape up Max,” the papers said, adding that the men then picked up Erskine’s brother, identified only as “Kendall,” who said, “What the f–k is this?” when he got into the van.
The men then drove over to the home of another man, named only as “Irvine,” who said, “Is that guy alive?” when he got into the van.
“I said, ‘He’s breathing,’ but when Irvine checked he said, ‘The dude is dead!’ ” Felix said, according to court papers.
Irvine then got out of the van, and Erskine went back to check whether anything was happening near Stark’s office.
“He then called Kendall and told him to, ‘Get the f–k out of here cause the police be all over Max’s block,’ ” the court papers said.
Felix and Kendall then drove to Long Island.
“Kendall saw a dumpster and said we’ll put him in there, so I pull up and Kendall had to put him in the Dumpster, as I’m not strong to do it,” Felix told the detectives, according to the court papers.
The duo drove to a gas station to fill soda bottles with gasoline and buy a lighter, then drove back to set the body on fire, the papers said.
None of the three other men named in the documents has been charged because prosecutors said they don’t have enough evidence.
LINK TO ORIGINAL ARTICLE: http://nypost.com/2014/07/12/accused-slumlord-killer-gives-cops-details-on-murder/