DECADES after admitting she helped kill a man at just 15 years old, the so-called Baby-Faced Butcher is now living a quiet life on a New York City island, The U.S. Sun can exclusively reveal.
Daphne Abdela was thrust back into the spotlight in recent weeks by a Netflix documentary covering her involvement in the brutal stabbing death of 44-year-old real estate worker Michael McMorrow.
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On May 23, 1997, the disemboweled corpse of McMorrow was pulled from a Central Park pond.
The real estate worker had been stabbed 38 times in his face, neck, and hands and had been stuffed with stones so his body would sink.
Soon after, locals were shocked to see photos of a teenage Abdela splashed across newspapers throughout New York City.
Cops had accused her and her friend Christopher Vasquez, also 15 at the time, of murdering the real estate worker after the trio enjoyed a night of drinking.
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The teens were arrested after Abdela called 911 to report the murder, and tried to point the blame on Vasquez, who she had met weeks before the killing.
In the docuseries Homicide: New York, former New York Police Department officers who responded to the call said they were shocked to find Abdela in a beautiful apartment complex right beside Central Park.
Investigators found Abdela was the sole adopted child of a food industry executive who lived in New York City's enviable Upper West Side.
However, despite hiring Ben Braffman, one of the most sought-after defense attorneys in the city, she pleaded guilty once detectives presented her with damning pieces of evidence.
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Abdela ended up taking a plea deal and admitted that she took part in McMorrow's death.
After she was sentenced, Abdela served six years in prison and was released in 2004.
‘Baby-Faced Butcher’ Daphne Abdela confessed role in stabbing death but mystery remains 27 years on, author says
Since Netflix thrust her story back into the spotlight, viewers have wondered what happened to the teen criminal.
Now, The U.S. Sun can give an exclusive look at the private life of the heiress decades after she quietly reentered society.
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ISLAND LIFE
Abdela lives in a two-story single-family home on a quiet street on City Island - a touristy neighborhood in the Bronx.
Located about 13 miles northeast of the Central Park crime scene where her life would change forever, City Island is famous for its seafood restaurants and harbor access.
Photos taken by The U.S. Sun reveal City Island's quaint main street and beautiful views of the Long Island Sound
In the summer, the island is filled with Bronx natives who enjoy a day of swimming and barhopping, but there's also a close-knit group of families who have lived there for generations.
The U.S. Sun spoke with neighbors who live on Abdela's street after she was pictured on a Starbucks run with an unidentified woman.
The murder of Michael McMorrow
On May 23, 1997, Daphne Abdela and Christopher Vasquez, both 15, met up with Michael McMorrow, 44, whom Daphne had met at Alcoholics Anonymous.
Later that night, Abdela called 911 to report that there was a body in a pond in Central Park.
First responders found McMorrow's body covered with stab wounds.
At first, Abdela pointed the finger at Vasquez when she was confronted by police that same night.
However, detectives questioned how he could singlehandedly kill a 200-pound man.
The medical examiner later found bruises on McMorrow's body that aligned with the bottom of Abdela's skates.
The residents confirmed Abdela indeed lived in the home pictured by The U.S. Sun and gave an inside look at her reserved lifestyle.
While the neighbors didn't wish to be interviewed, they said they were aware of Abdela's criminal past and said she didn't get out much.
One neighbor on the other side of the block said he's never remembered her ever walking in front of his home.
The U.S. Sun confirmed Abdela owns dogs and hires a dog walker to help take care of them.
She was also witnessed driving a nice Mazda sedan to Starbucks.
Abdela was seen walking with a cane, which could stem from a car accident that allegedly left her disabled, a lawsuit filed in 2009 claims.
The lawsuit filed against two drivers claimed that Abdela was "rendered sick, sore, and lame" and "experiencing mental anguish and great pain" after her car was struck, the New York Post reported at the time.
Court records seen by The U.S. Sun show that the case was closed, but it's unclear how it was resolved and whether her alleged injuries were discussed.
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SHOCK MURDER
Abdela is the only adopted child of Angelo Abdela who was working as a senior executive at a major food services company when she was arrested.
Witnesses whose children grew up with Abdela said her father was rarely seen and often traveled for business while his daughter prowled the streets looking for trouble.
Though Abdela used her father's wealth and privilege to land a spot in the elite private school Columbia Grammar and Preparatory, she spent her after-school hours drinking and picking fights in Central Park.
Speaking exclusively to The U.S. Sun, Stella Sands, who lived down the street from Abdela, said, "She was just a badass."
"She was difficult. She was tough-looking and would hang out on our street," she added.
"She was not your sweet lovely little blonde girl."
Hours before McMorrow was murdered, he had seen Abdela and Vasquez in Central Park and the trio began hanging out.
Although he had met Abdela at Alcoholics Anonymous, they would sometimes get together to drink beers.
Though the spring night started like any other, it ended in a harrowing 911 call.
Abdela reported McMorrow's death to the police, spurring officers to launch a widespread search in Central Park and come to her parents' luxurious building.
In the apartment, they found Abdela and Vasquez washing blood off their bodies in the bathroom before Abdela cursed at them and told them to leave, former New York Police Department officers said in the Netflix doc.
After they washed off, Abdela explained to police how it all had unfolded.
She said that the teens went skinny dipping in a pond while McMorrow stood on the grass.
She claimed that he tried to kiss and grab her when she got out of the water, leading Vasquez to grab his pocket knife and attack him while she watched in horror.
Detectives found Vasquez's pocket knife and saw it was covered in blood that later matched McMorrow's DNA.
However, they questioned how the teen boy was able to single-handedly overpower a 6-foot-1 man who weighed around 200 pounds.
Vasquez was described by witnesses as a quiet altar boy from Spanish Harlem who preferred to stay indoors.
McMorrow's family also claimed that, though the real estate worker struggled with drinking, he was a sensitive man who would never take advantage of a teen girl.
After analyzing their evidence, detectives had a private meeting with Abdela, her high-profile criminal defense attorney Ben Braffman, and prosecutors.
They said the medical examiner found bruises on McMorrow's body that matched the bottom of Abdela's rollerskates, and they believed she helped kick him to the ground.
The evidence led prosecutors to come up with a plea deal, and Abdela accepted a manslaughter charge to avoid trial.
In 1998, Vasquez was also found guilty of manslaughter, but jury members at the trial said they believed Abdela was the true killer, the New York Times reported at the time.
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Both Vasquez and Abdela served six years of their prison sentence before they were released.
Neither of them have been arrested again.
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