SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — The disturbing details of the death of 93-year-old Connie Tuori, the woman murdered in her home at Skyline Apartments on James Street, were released Thursday during a Syracuse Police press conference.
Police say although her body was found on March 17 during a wellness check that Tuori’s family requested, the investigation revealed she was likely killed three weeks prior.
Now 23-year-old Victoria Afet has been charged with Tuori’s murder, pleading not guilty at her arraignment Thursday night.
But this isn’t the first time Afet’s been in court.
Afet has a long rap sheet, that includes 10 arrests in just the last year and many of them are violent offenses.
Possibly the most disturbing part of this case, Afet was arrested for a strong-armed robbery of a 74-year-old at the same apartment complex just a week before she allegedly killed Tuori.
For that case, a judge released Afet without bail, which the Onondaga County District Attorney and Syracuse Police are now questioning. As a repeat offender recently charged with separate violent crimes, why was Afet out on the streets?
“Police — we are a part of the criminal justice system and this is not to point any fingers but when you look at the activity of this individual and the types of crimes that she was committing and the fact that she was on the street…I think that we all have to take a look to see how we could possibly make opportunities for improvement,” said Syracuse Police Chief Kenton Buckner.
D.A. Bill Fitzpatrick said he asked the judge to set Afet’s bail at $50,000 for the strong-armed robbery that happened just 8 days before Tuori’s murder but the judge didn’t set any bail.
