A Brooklyn jury has begun deliberating the fate of an East Village man who, 23 years later, was nabbed by DNA evidence for the brutal stabbing death of teen Sunset Park beauty Lissette Torres.
Edwin Alcaide, now 54, is accused of stabbing 19-year-old Torres in the face and neck 15 times on New Year’s Day in 1987 and leaving her to die in a Sunset Park parking lot.
In closing arguments Tuesday, prosecutor Nicole Itkin told jurors the week-long trial was a “case of common sense,” pointing to DNA evidence found under three of Torres’ fingernails linking Alcaide to the murder.
“She fought back and she grabbed a piece of him under her nails,” Itkin said.
Alcaide was said to have had scratches on his face the day of the murder.
“What a coincidence, last person seen with her has scratches on his face and his DNA under her fingernails,” the prosecutor said.
The decades-old cold case was cracked in 2010 when DNA evidence was retested and matched to Alcaide, a registered sex offender with a lengthy rap sheet. He was charged with second degree murder in 2012.
Defense attorney Jesse Young said Torres, whose drug-dealing boyfriend was pals with Alcaide, was good friends with her accused murderer, and pointed to the possibility of other suspects during the trial.
“The three of them together were the Three Musketeers. No motive. No reason for him to harm his friend Lisette,” said Young.
According to testimony, Torres, was last seen getting into a cab with Alcaide early on New Year’s Day 1987, in hopes of finding her boyfriend who was taken to a local police precinct following a fight. Her bloodied body was found hours later.
Torres’ family and friends have kept vigil during the trial, which began last Wednesday.