NEW YORK (PIX11) – A Bronx man was sentenced to 25 years to life in a state prison for murdering his cousin and attempting to conceal her corpse, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced on Wednesday.
In November, a jury found Khalid Barrow, 22, guilty of killing his 35-year-old cousin Nisaa Walcott.
“The defendant’s criminal conduct was an unspeakable betrayal,” said Bragg. “Khalid Barrow strangled his cousin in her own home, all for his own financial gain. No sentence can undo this family’s pain, but I hope they continue to heal from this terrible loss.”
During the trial, chilling details were shared about Barrows' crime.
Barrow strangled Walcott in her East Harlem apartment where he was staying in February 2022. After, he bound her ankles with a Wi-Fi cord, hid her body inside a plastic tub, and dumped it on a Bronx sidewalk, according to prosecutors. Barrow then used Walcott's cellphone to throw family members off. He also tricked Walcott’s son into helping him cover up his crime, according to court documents.
For days, Barrow used Walcott’s credit cards to purchase marijuana, drinks, and food. He also used Walcott’s phone to send texts to her son saying she was going away to “take care of business,” and that Barrow would look after him.
When Walcott’s son returned home from school, he found Barrow cleaning the floor. The apartment smelled like bleach, the son later recalled to NYPD officers.
Barrow was arrested after police obtained surveillance video that linked him to the crime.
The video showed Barrow “get on the elevator while dragging what appears to be a clear plastic bin with a yellow or light-colored towel or blanket on top of it and press the elevator button,” according to a criminal complaint.
Another video showed two individuals taking a plastic bin from the roof to the elevator and out the front entrance of the Manhattan building. Surveillance video in the Bronx from a bit later shows two people removing a bin from an SUV and dragging it to the sidewalk.
When NYPD officers interviewed Barrow, he was wearing clothing similar to what was seen in the surveillance video, officials said. He also had two cellphones and a cut on his hand.
An autopsy determined Walcott’s body was in a high state of decomposition when it was found, and that her hyoid, a bone in the neck, had been fractured.
Investigators believe Walcott and Barrow had argued before Barrow killed her, according to court documents.
This story comprises reporting from former PIX11 News reporter Aliza Chasan.
Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here.
