A Brooklyn man has been handed down a life sentence without the possibility of parole for the murder and dismemberment of a 39-year-old man. The decedent's remains were found in the perpetrator's refrigerator at his Flatbush residence, the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office reported.
48-year-old Nicholas McGee was convicted of first-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse following a jury trial that concluded on October 9. "This was a deeply disturbing act of violence by a defendant who not only stole a man’s life, but then desecrated his body," said District Attorney Eric Gonzalez in a statement obtained by Brooklyn District Attorney's Office. The sentencing occurred at the Brooklyn Supreme Court under Justice John Hecht.
The investigation revealed that in March 2022, McGee allegedly stabbed the victim, Kawsheen Gelzer, in the back as he was sleeping on a sofa. According to medical testimony, Gelzer sustained more than 60 sharp force injuries and was struck multiple times with a hammer. After the murder, the defendant rummaged through Gelzer’s pockets, using the drugs he found with his co-defendant before dismembering the body and storing the parts in his refrigerator.
The discovery of Gelzer's remains on January 20, 2024, prompted by an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers, led to McGee's apprehension. While incarcerated in Virginia on unrelated charges, McGee, who after negotiating with detectives for a cigarette, gave a detailed confession to the crimes. His wife, Heather Stines, 48, pleaded guilty to charges of concealment of a human corpse and third-degree bail jumping and is awaiting sentencing.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Cassandra Pond, Deputy Chief of the District Attorney’s Green Zone Trial Bureau, and Assistant District Attorney Adam Ghalmi. Their efforts were recognized by District Attorney Gonzalez, who also thanked Homicide Paralegal Meghan Brancato and Green Zone Paralegal Aneudy Mata for their work on the case.
