MARRIED BRONX MAN CONVICTED OF MURDER IN THE DEATH OF A
WOMAN WHO WAS 34 WEEKS PREGNANT WITH HIS UNBORN CHILD
Bronx District Attorney Robert T. Johnson announced today the murder conviction of a 49-year-old man who stabbed, strangled and bludgeoned a 37-year-old woman who was 34 weeks pregnant with the defendant’s unborn child.
Robert Coakley, of 1210 Colgate Avenue, the Bronx, was found guilty on one count of Murder in the 2nd degree in the death of Marilyn Ginel in March 2006. Acting State Supreme Court Justice Robert Carter set sentencing for January 13, 2009 in Part T2. Coakley is facing a maximum sentence of up to 25 years to life imprisonment.
Ginel was murdered on March 30, 2006 at her Beach Avenue apartment in the Bronxdale Houses. Coakley went to the apartment early that morning and began arguing with Ginel about money. As the bickering continued, Ginel told Coakley that she was taking her mother and three young children, aged 9, 10 and 12, to breakfast. When they left Coakley remained in the apartment until Ginel and the children returned. Coakley and Ginel began arguing again and not too long after that, Coakley’s wife Maria showed up at the apartment. The jury heard testimony that Coakley grabbed Ginel’s 10-year-old son and threatened to cut off his ear if she did not give him some money. Coakley took Ginel into her bedroom where she was killed while his wife, Maria Coakley, kept the children occupied in their rooms. Before leaving the apartment, Coakley told the children that their mother was sleeping and should not be disturbed. The children discovered their mother’s body after the defendant and his wife left the apartment with Ginel’s cellular telephone and bank debit card. Police were notified after the children explained to some teenagers who were in the building distributing religious literature door to door, what had happened to their mother. The defendant and his wife, who later made a $400 ATM withdrawal from the victim’s bank account, were arrested three days after the murder.
Maria Coakley pled guilty to one count of Robbery in the 2nd degree in December 2007 and was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Aaron Kaplan and Nicole Webster of the Domestic Violence Bureau.
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