Cousins charged in Conn. millionaire’s death

updated 2:58 p.m. ET March 23, 2008

HARTFORD, Conn. - A chauffeur and his cousin face charges in the 2006 stabbing death of a millionaire developer accused of real estate fraud, police said Saturday.

Andrew Kissel, 46, was found tied up and stabbed to death in his Greenwich mansion just days before he was to plead guilty in a multimillion-dollar fraud case.

Carlos Trujillo, who was Kissel's driver, and his cousin, Leonard Trujillo, were arrested in connection with the developer's death, Greenwich Police Chief David Ridberg said Saturday.

"There is still a lot of information to be gathered and facts to be discerned," Ridberg said in a written statement announcing the arrests.

The chief said more information would be released Monday.

Leonard Trujillo, 21, is charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder, police said. Carlos Trujillo, 47, is charged with conspiracy to commit murder.

Attorney Lindy Urso, who represented Carlos Trujillo shortly after Kissel's death could not be reached late Saturday. Information was not immediately available on whether Leonard Trujillo had an attorney.

Carlos Trujillo had been interviewed by police several times and had given them samples of his DNA, fingerprints and some personal documents, his attorney has said. He has denied any involvement in Kissel's death.

Carlos Trujillo was being held late Saturday at Greenwich police headquarters and is scheduled to appear Monday in Superior Court in Stamford unless he posts a $1 million cash bond, police said.

Leonard Trujillo was being held without bond late Saturday at the Worcester police station. He is scheduled to appear Monday in Worcester District Court.

Victim's brother also killed
Kissel's brother, Robert, was a wealthy banker whose wife was convicted of murder in Hong Kong in September 2005 and sentenced to life in prison after feeding him a milkshake laced with drugs and then beating him to death in November 2003.

Andrew Kissel and his estranged wife, Hayley, had cared for Robert Kissel's three children until they were handed over to the custody of a relative, who lived near Seattle. Andrew and Hayley Kissel had two children of their own.

The couple's divorce was heating up before he was killed, court records show. In divorce papers, Hayley Kissel had accused her husband of being a belligerent alcoholic.

Kissel's criminal cases were pending in federal and state courts in New York at the time of his death. The federal case charged him with real estate fraud and state prosecutors charged him with grand larceny, alleging he stole nearly $4 million from his Manhattan apartment cooperative.

Kissel also was being sued by a former business partner.

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