DA Says Cruelty Is 'Beyond Comprehension' as N.Y.C. Man Gets Life for Murder and Dismemberment of Acquaintance By Nicole Acosta

A New York City man who murdered and dismembered his acquaintance before stashing some of the remains in his fridge will spend the rest of his life in prison.

The life sentence, which does not include parole, was handed down to Nicholas McGee, 48, on Nov. 19 — about one month after a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse, the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office said in a press release.

In March 2022, McGee repeatedly stabbed 38-year-old Kawsheen Gelzer in the back as he slept on a sofa in the Flatbush apartment where McGee and his wife, Heather Stines, lived, prosecutors said.

McGee stabbed Gelzer more than 60 times and also struck him with a hammer during the attack, the release states, citing medical testimony. After the killing, McGee went through Gelzer’s pockets and took the drugs he had on him, which McGee then used with Stines, prosecutors said.

“The defendant then dragged the victim’s body to the bathroom, where it remained in the bathtub for several days before the defendant used a saw and hammer to dismember the body, placing the remains in separate plastic bags,” the release states.

McGee then hid Gelzer’s head, torso, arms and legs inside a fridge and freezer located in the apartment. Both appliances were sealed shut with tape and glue, prosecutors said.

Gelzer’s remains weren’t found until Jan. 20, 2024, when an anonymous Crime Stoppers tip led police to McGee’s apartment. At the time, McGee was in police custody in Virginia on an unrelated matter. He then confessed to the murder and dismemberment while speaking to NYPD detectives after they agreed to give him a cigarette, per the release.

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The attack stemmed from a drug-related dispute, per a sentencing memo obtained by the New York Daily News. The memo states that Gelzer had previously supplied the couple with drugs in exchange for sexual favors from Stines and a place to stay.

On the day of the killing, Stines refused Gelzer’s request for oral sex, and when McGee later asked Gelzer for drugs, Gelzer turned him down, per the memo. McGee reportedly said he felt disrespected.

“This was a deeply disturbing act of violence by a defendant who not only stole a man’s life, but then desecrated his body,” Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said in the release. “The cruelty and disregard for human life shown in the case are almost beyond comprehension.”

Stines pleaded guilty in October 2024 to concealment of a human corpse and third-degree bail jumping. She will be sentenced at a later date.