Eric Napoletano

Case record

Background

Eric Napoletano was described as a “sexually sadistic serial killer,” according to the FBI.

Carolyn Napoletano remained Eric Napoletano’s champion throughout investigations, trials and convictions.

Carolyn Napoletano was a police administrative assistant at the NYPD's Midtown North precinct and, in earlier years, worked as an auxiliary cop.

Carolyn Napoletano was born on April 21, 1940, in New Brunswick, N.J.

Eric Napoletano was born as Eric Ernest Napoletano Jr. and was adopted the departed father’s name.

Eric Napoletano had a tumultuous childhood, with fights with his mother and visits to mental institutions, and he had several hospitalizations.

At 11-year-old Eric returned home to his mother’s apartment only briefly, before moving in with a 48-year-old man who befriended him.

Carolyn largely turned responsibility for Eric to the man, while maintaining a strong relationship with her son and adamant that he become a New York City police officer.

When Eric dropped out of the Marines at age 18, harming his chances of joining the NYPD, Carolyn was furious and wrote him:

“CHANGE YOUR MIND BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!”

After that, Eric’s mind was set on another course.

Between the ages of 18 and 24, Eric Napoletano “fell in love” at least five times.

Each time, as described, Eric followed the same routine: he set his sights on a young minority woman the type Carolyn despised and referred to with racial slurs, then he became abusive with his lovers, using torture and handcuffing as routine tactics and threatening abandonment, with two instances described as death.

The offence

Murder of Myra Acevedo (second wife)

Eric Napoletano strangled his second wife, 22-year-old Myra Acevedo, in Clifton, N.J.

Authorities said Myra Acevedo angered him by threatening to leave their marriage and take their two young sons to live with her parents in Puerto Rico.

Prosecutors said Eric Napoletano killed Myra Acevedo on June 21, 1990, and dumped her body in a rural area of New Castle County, Delaware, about 15 miles south of the New Jersey border.

Her body was found in rural Delaware three weeks after her disappearance in June 1990.

The method was described as Eric tying a rope around Myra Acevedo’s neck while their two young boys watched.

Other killings discussed as related suspicions

Authorities said Eric Napoletano was also a suspect in the 1984 slaying of his former girlfriend, 15-year-old Marilyn Coludro.

Authorities also said he was a suspect in the 1985 shooting death of a former mother-in-law, Gladys Matos.

Eric Napoletano had not been charged in either case at the time of the New York Times report.

Investigation

Federal agents moved in on Eric Napoletano.

On March 27, 1991, federal agents closed in on Eric in his Albuquerque, N.M., hideout.

Seven years had gone by since Eric had first killed, and by then Myra Acevedo, Marilyn Coludro and Gladys Matos were all dead.

Agents, fearing for the life of Eric’s latest lover, gathered enough evidence to obtain a search warrant.

While a SWAT team rifled through his apartment, Eric ran to call his mother on a pay phone.

A wiretap exchange described Carolyn and Eric discussing the search warrant:

“How did they get to you?” Carolyn demanded, according to transcripts of wiretaps.
“It says they want any letters written in 1990 . . . ,” said Eric, reading his mother the search warrant.
“They're looking for any evidence into, it says, the beatings of Wanda Matos.”
“There's nothing,” Carolyn said confidently.
“Right,” Eric agreed.
“And the murder of Gladys.”
“There's nothing,” Carolyn said again.
“The kidnaping and murder of Myra,” Eric continued.
“There's nothing.”
“And the murder of Marilyn. . .”
“Okay,” said Carol.
“I have not sent you any letters. I have only sent you newspaper clippings. And if they ask you why, you say, 'My mother keeps me up to date.'”

Arrest

No separate arrest event was stated, but Eric was pursued leading to the March 27, 1991 search in Albuquerque, N.M.

Trial

Eric Napoletano was convicted in New Jersey for the murder of Myra Acevedo.

The jury read the verdict in the second day of deliberations, and Eric showed little emotion.

In 1993, a Passaic County jury convicted Eric Napoletano of Myra Acevedo's murder.

The sentencing hearing was before Judge Vincent Hull Jr. of Superior Court.

Prosecutors said they had enough evidence to show Eric Napoletano killed his wife on June 21, 1990, and dumped her body in a rural area of New Castle County, Delaware.

Assistant Passaic County Prosecutor William Purdy conceded he lacked witnesses to the slaying, but he said enough evidence existed.

Sentencing

Eric Napoletano faced life in prison and was sentenced on June 25 by Judge Vincent Hull Jr.

The New Jersey sentence included a term of 321/2 years to life in Trenton State Prison, as stated.

Eric's May 14 confession to the killing of Marilyn Coludro added another 15 years to his sentence.

Appeals

No appeal information was stated.

Other charges and legal proceedings involving Carolyn Napoletano

Carolyn Napoletano faced nearly a dozen criminal charges in connection with her efforts to help Eric.

In 1991, Carolyn stood accused of conspiracy, lying to police, tampering with evidence and tampering with a witness in a murder investigation.

Carolyn provided alibis that placed her with Eric on the night of the murder of Myra Acevedo.

Carolyn filed a complaint against a detective in the case.

Carolyn Napoletano was charged with conspiracy and lying to police and faced only a one-year “pre-trial intervention” program in New Jersey.

William Purdy characterized the program as a one-year probation period.

Purdy’s statements about the program were:

“There's no admission of guilt, but the charges are still technically open,” Purdy said.
“They will not be technically dismissed until she completes this probationary period.”

Trial-related events and guilty plea

Plea to murder of Marilyn Coludro

Eric Napoletano pleaded guilty to the murder of Marilyn Coludro in Queens.

He struck a deal that likely spared his mother from prosecution.

Last May 14, Eric finally pleaded guilty to the murder of Coludro in Queens.

In return, New Jersey authorities agreed not to prosecute his mother.

Nicknamed “murder of his former girlfriend” and details of that case

After Eric stabbed his 15-year-old girlfriend, Marilyn Coludro, several times in her Queens apartment, he dumped her body in Pennsylvania in 1984.

Two years passed before Coludro’s corpse was identified.

Victims

Myra Acevedo

Myra Acevedo was the second wife of Eric Napoletano.

She was 22 years old.

She was strangled in Clifton, N.J., by tying a rope around her neck while their two young sons watched.

Prosecutors said she was killed on June 21, 1990, and her body was dumped in rural New Castle County, Delaware, about 15 miles south of the New Jersey border.

Marilyn Coludro

Marilyn Coludro was the former girlfriend of Eric Napoletano.

She was 15 years old.

She was stabbed several times in her Queens apartment, and her body was dumped in Pennsylvania in 1984.

Her corpse was identified two years later.

Gladys Matos

Gladys Matos was described as a former mother-in-law of Eric Napoletano.

She was shot dead in 1985.

Gladys Matos was described as the mother of Eric’s first wife, Wanda, in the Bronx.

People

Eric Ernest Napoletano Jr.

Eric Napoletano was the subject of the New Jersey murder conviction.

He was described as a sexually sadistic serial killer according to the FBI.

He was 27-year-old in the New York Times report.

He was serving 321/2 years to life in Trenton State Prison after being convicted of Myra Acevedo’s murder.

He pleaded guilty to the murder of Marilyn Coludro in Queens and confessed to it on May 14, adding another 15 years to his sentence.

He was also described as remaining the only suspect in a Bronx killing involving Gladys Matos.

Carolyn Napoletano

Carolyn Napoletano was the mother of Eric Napoletano.

She remained his champion throughout investigations, trials and convictions.

She was described as a civilian employee of the New York City Police Department with access to confidential documents.

Carolyn provided alibis and defended Eric’s innocence.

Carolyn’s quotes included:

“We were more friends than son and mother,” Carolyn told Pienciak in one of several extensive interviews, “because Eric and I were always like brother and sister.”

“She had other boyfriends,” explained Carolyn.
“Eric doesn't have a mean bone in his body,” she insisted.
“I know him really good.”

Carolyn said of the 15-year-old girlfriend:

“was no angel.”

Carolyn provided different alibis for Eric in the Matos case, including that he was asleep on her couch and, at another time, eating breakfast in a diner downtown.

Carolyn demanded answers on the pay phone call during the search warrant discussion:

“How did they get to you?”

Carolyn described no letters being sent and claimed she only sent newspaper clippings:

Prosecutors and judges

Judge Vincent Hull Jr. sentenced Eric Napoletano on June 25.

Assistant Passaic County Prosecutor William Purdy conceded he lacked witnesses to the slaying.

William Purdy characterized the pre-trial intervention program for Carolyn as a one-year probation period:

Detective and NYPD spokesman

A NYPD spokesman, Detective Julio Martinez, said Napoletano was still employed at Midtown North.

Detective Julio Martinez said:

“still employed” at Midtown North.
“Whatever investigation is taking place or has taken place has so far not affected her work,” he said.

Other details

Carolyn’s book discussions involved the author Richard T. Pienciak and a book titled “Mama's Boy: The True Story of a Serial Killer and His Mother.”

Carolyn told Pienciak in interviews that she and Eric were “more friends than son and mother.”

Pienciak is referenced in describing a synopsis of Eric’s pattern and in describing Carolyn’s account, including descriptions of Eric’s victims.

The New Jersey authorities agreed not to prosecute Carolyn in return for Eric’s guilty plea.

The FBI task force traced Eric from the East Coast to New Mexico and used the first federal wiretap ever used in a serial killer case, as described.

No number of victims beyond the three named dead individuals was stated in the record provided.

Eric Napoletano’s wife’s parents were described as in Puerto Rico.