The following article contains graphic descriptions of a violent homicide.
Homicide: New Yorkopens its miniseries with an episode about the tragic death of Jennifer Stahl, an actress who appeared inDirty Dancingand was murdered in cold blood. One of the few documentaries in theDick Wolf universe of TV shows,Homicide: New Yorkis a 2024 five-episode miniseries that uncovers different, grisly murders that have taken place in New York City. The series features detectives, investigators, prosecutors, and even those who knew the victims for an up-close and personal look at the crimes.
It isn’tthe first true-crime seriesthat Dick Wolf has made, withCold JusticeandCriminal Confessionsbeing notable entries in the genre, but it is the first Wolf production to be made for Netflix. The first episode of the series is titled, “Carnegie Deli Massacre” and it gets the show off on a frightening note with a triple homicide.Jennifer Stahl was a small-time actress living in New York City, with some minor roles in movies likeDirty DancingandFirehouse. On one fateful evening, she was in her apartment above the famous Carnegie Deli, when something terrible happened.
Who Is Jennifer Stahl? Background On The Victim
Jennifer Stahl Was An Actress Who Appeared In Dirty Dancing
Jennifer Stahl was raised in Titusville, NJ, before moving to New York City to pursue acting. She only had some success, appearing in small roles inFirehouseandNecropolis.Her biggest claim to fame came inDirty Dancing, where she played one of the background dancers delighted by Johnny (Patrick Swayze). When roles began to dry up, Stahl turned to singing and selling marijuana (viaNYT). Far from being a major seller, Stahl mainly dealt high-grade weed, almost exclusively to friends including some SNL cast members. It was a sort of boutique service to supplement an artistic lifestyle (viaDenOfGeek).
I’m Your Man(1992) (video game)
Woman with Professor Bob
TheNew York Timesarticle made the same year paints Stahl as a bit of a rebel. It suggests that because she came from an affluent family, she frequently chaffed against the expectations put on her by her family. After her acting career stalled, she left the Actors Equity union, married a man, divorced him, squabbled with her relatives, and eventually turned to music making, aided by the funds provided from her small marijuana business.
She rented a small apartment a few stories above the famed Carnegie Delicatessen in Midtown where tourists stopped to eat their pastrami sandwiches and gawk at the photos of famous people on the wall.
She rented a small apartment a few stories above the famed Carnegie Delicatessen in Midtown where tourists stopped to eat their pastrami sandwiches and gawk at the photos of famous people on the wall. Up in her apartment, Stahl recorded music in a makeshift studio and was often surrounded by many friends. On the evening of her murder, Stahl was drinking wine and hanging out with Charles “Trey” Hillewell and his girlfriend Rosemond Dane, who were visiting. Stahl’s hairdresser, Anthony Veader, was also there, exchanging a cut for some marijuana, and Stephen King was manning the door.
The Tragic Death Of Jennifer Stahl In May 2001
Stahl And Two Of Her Friends Were Murdered In Stahl’s Apartment
On the evening of August 06, 2025, two men walked up the five stories to Stahl’s apartment, making no effort to hide their identities. Stahl opened the door for Sean Salley and Andre “Dre” Smith. King appeared to recognize the pair by name, indicating one or both were previous customers. Guns were immediately pulled out and Stahl told the men they could take whatever they wanted. While the guests were being tied up,witnesses to the event said Stahl was suddenly shot. The other four people in the apartment were bound and shot as well.
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Salley and Smith, who were not identified until later, fled the apartment with between $800-$1,000 and half a pound of marijuana. Helliwell and King died instantly. Dane and Veader were in serious but stable condition, and Veader was able to call 911. Officers and paramedics arrived and managed to save Veader and Dane, but Stahl died from her wound in the hospital. According to video surveillance footage in the building, Salley and Smith were in the apartment for less than six minutes.
Sean Salley And Andre “Dre” Smith Were Convicted Of Stahl’s Murder
Salley And Smith Were After Stahl’s Money
As King and Stahl seemed to recognize at least Sean Salley, it follows that Salley and/or Dre Smith were customers of Stahl, which points to how they knew Stahl was holding drugs and a substantial amount of money. Footage of their walk up the steps to the apartment and back down after the murders showed that the pair made no efforts to conceal their faces or wipe their fingerprints, indicating a lack of careful planning.All this suggests the crime was purely money-motivated, with the killings possibly being incidental.
This is corroborated by a senior investigator who says that after Stahl was shot, the man who was tying up the other guests asked his partner, “Why did you have to shoot her?”. The next shots into the remaining people in the apartment were hastily delivered. It appeared to be a rush job, not necessarily something that was heavily pre-meditated. Like in theHomicide: New Yorkcase about the murder of Michael McMorrow, it did not take long for investigators to find Salley and Smith.
Detectives found video surveillance of the two men and identified them as Salley and Smith. They also lifted fingerprints off the duct tape used to bind the victims. Smith turned himself in to the police two weeks after the shooting. He eventually stopped stonewalling after detectives revealed they had his fingerprints.Smith revealed Salley came to him with the job, explaining Stahl’s operation and how it would be an easy in and out, without the need to even fire a weapon. According to Smith, Salley fired the shot that killed Stahl.
Salley fled and went on the lam in New York and New Jersey.
When Smith asked Salley what he was doing, Salley responded, “They knew me.” Salley fled and went on the lam in New York and New Jersey. When detectives put the case onAmerica’s Most Wanted, they received numerous tips, including one that led them to Salley in Miami. Salley admitted his plans to rob Stahl but was adamant the initial gunshot was accidental.He then said Smith was the one who fired on the othersin the apartment. Each defendant blamed the other for being responsible, necessitating two separate trials.
The two separate trials were held simultaneously in the same courtroom. Veader and Dane testified.
The trials were delayed due to the events of 9/11, but eventually, the court case went through, with both sides accusing the other. On July 16, 2025, the jury concluded that they were unable to determine who exactly was responsible for shooting who in Stahl’s apartment on Aug 11, 2025. Therefore, both Smith and Salley were convicted of three counts of second-degree murder, one conviction each for the deaths of Helliwell, King, and Stahl.
On June 16, 2025, Smith and Salley were sentenced to three consecutive terms of 25 years to life in prison without parole. It was a tragic night for King, Helliwell, and Jennifer Stahl; an actress inDirty Dancing, a singer, and a woman who clearly had many good friends.Homicide: New Yorkepisodes don’t generally end happily, but at least in the premiere, some amount of justice was served.
Homicide: New York
Homicide: New York is a crime drama that follows a team of detectives as they investigate and solve crimes in New York City. The show delves into the lives of the detectives and the victims, exploring the complexities of the cases and the personal toll on those involved.
