Celeb jeweller’s ‘surrogate son’ and accomplice charged with murder after ‘stabbing to death man who rejected their sexual advances’
Blood and bleach were found spattered around suspect James Rackover's Manhattan apartment
THE ‘surrogate son’ of a celebrity jeweller has appeared in court charged with murdering a man who allegedly rejected his sexual advances.
James Rackover, 25, and his alleged accomplice Lawrence Dilione, 28, are accused of killing Joseph Comunale, 26, after partying together in New York at the weekend.
Rackover’s 'surrogate father' Jeffrey Rackover designed gems for Melania Trump, Jennifer Lopez and Oprah Winfrey.
Joseph Comunale, who goes by the name Joey, was discovered in a wooded stretch on the Jersey shore early Wednesday.
There were multiple stab wounds on the victim's body.
His partially-burned remains were found inside a suitcase that had been buried behind Foggia's Florist in Oceanport.
The 26-year-old was reported missing on Tuesday morning by his worried father after he never returned home from his weekend trip to New York City.
Shortly after the woman left, the men reportedly got into a brutal fight and Comunale was stabbed multiple times.
Later a man was recorded on surveillance video using the cart to transport two pieces of luggage out of the building.
He is then said to have asked a building employee how long video surveillance was kept before it gets erased.
Rackover's grandfather told the New York Daily News: "To me, he was a sweet loving kid. I don’t know him in any other sense. It’s a shock. I love that kid. I can’t see him doing something like that.
"Who knows what went on at that party?"
Rackover reportedly hired a lawyer on Wednesday.
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