Harvey Marcelin Sentenced to Life Without Parole in Brooklyn

Harvey Marcelin, 88, was sentenced to life without parole by a Brooklyn judge after being convicted of the murder and dismemberment of a 68-year-old woman in 2022. The sentence ends any chance of release for Marcelin, whose conviction was his third for murder.

Marcelin scattered Susan Leyden’s remains across East New York. In court, Marcelin denied killing Leyden and blamed Lisa Lindahl, who testified against him and was inside the apartment during the aftermath.

Brooklyn sentencing

The judge said that if Marcelin ever gets out again, he has no doubt that Marcelin will kill again. That finding led to the life-without-parole sentence, which keeps Marcelin in prison for the rest of his life.

Marcelin also told the court that “he was crazy about Leyden.” He apologized to Leyden’s family for not doing enough to protect her.

Marcelin's prior murders

Marcelin said, “I pleaded guilty to one of the prior murders to receive a reduced sentence.” That statement put his latest case in the context of his prior murder convictions and the judge’s decision to impose the harshest sentence available in this case.

For Leyden’s family, the sentence closes the case at the punishment stage. For the public, the outcome means Marcelin will not leave prison again after a case that ended with a killing, dismemberment, and remains scattered across East New York.