A quiet Monday afternoon in West Brighton ended with a brutal discovery and a family shattered. Police say 19-year-old Damien Hurstel stands charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon, accused of fatally attacking his 45-year-old stepfather, Anthony Casalaspro, and leaving him decapitated in their Staten Island home.
Officers were dispatched just before 4:30 p.m. Monday to 380 Cary Avenue, following a 911 call reporting a stabbing. Upon entry, police found Casalaspro unresponsive in a bathtub, with multiple stab wounds to his head and neck—and a knife still embedded in the body. He was pronounced dead on the scene.
According to investigators, Hurstel’s 16-year-old sister returned home around 4 p.m. and was met by pools of blood leading through several rooms. She followed the trail into the bathroom, where she discovered her stepfather’s body and immediately called authorities.
Law enforcement sources now say the stabbing crossed into something far more savage—the victim was decapitated, with the weapon still lodged when police arrived. Hurstel was taken into custody at the scene without resistance. At the time of arrest, he showed little visible emotion, and was later seen being wheeled out of the 120th Precinct in a blood-soaked Tyvek suit.
Though motive remains unclear, authorities are probing Hurstel’s mental health history. Some reports suggest a documented record of psychiatric issues; others hint at a confession in which Hurstel allegedly described an overwhelming urge to kill.
As the investigation widens, neighbors struggle to comprehend the horror in their midst. One lifelong resident, Hugh Nembhard, who’s lived across the street for six decades, said, “I saw the father, but never the stepson … This is a complete shock to me.” Another neighbor lamented, “This whole world is upside down … you don’t do this to another person, not even an animal.”
At present, the NYPD Homicide Division is overseeing the case, combing through evidence and interviewing witnesses. Hurstel is expected to be arraigned imminently—though court documents reveal he may have suffered a seizure en route, temporarily delaying proceedings. The probe remains active, and officials say more details will emerge as they piece together how a living room family transformed into the site of an unthinkable murder.
