Nidda Head Murder Case

[Bridget Martin]

Good afternoon, Bridget Martin, Channel 2 CBS News reporter
December 10, 2008

Late last night 28 year old model, Nidda Head, was found dead in her Carnegie Hill apartment. Although the police are keeping information to a minimum, I was able to learn from the desk clerk her name and the fact that a maid stumbled on her body when entering the apartment to provide cleaning services. I did see Lt. Chris Meloni, NYPD and his well known assistant, Olivia Benson come down shortly after Medical Examiner, Dr. Garret Macy, left with the body bag. Presence of the Special Victims Unit (SVU) tells me they think it was another rape and murder situation. After they left I slipped upstairs to see CSI Agent Jeff Mallard leaving the yellow taped room. He said, "Nothing to report yet." in his normal pleasant way, but I'll be following this case closely.

[Chris Meloni]

Chris Meloni
============
December 11, 2008

I was in the Four Seasons Supper Club chatting with Lindsay and Olivia on Thursday evening when I received the call. There was a possible rape and murder being reported at the Carnegie Hill Apartment building. Although I know quite a few of the residents there, the name Nidda Head wasn't familiar.

They had a squad car pick us up out front and rush us the several blocks up to the Hill. We were quickly ushered up to the 19th floor and down the hall to 1901 where two officers were guarding the door. One of them walked us back  to the bedroom where we saw the naked female body sprawled out on the bed partially covered by a sheet.

The officer said when he arrived there was a Carnegie Hill security man present who said he removed the pillow laying over her face to place a hand on one side of her throat to confirm she was dead as he called 911.

I donned gloves and did an initial examination, lowering the sheet looking for bruises or blood. There was no blood and only the minor bruising that probably occurred while she was being smothered. Olivia agreed that she might have actually been sleeping when the attack commenced and it didn't look like she had been raped.

At this point first Jeff Mallard arrived followed by the Medical Examiner, Garret Macy. Macy went through the normal examination of the body, saying he estimates the time of death between 10:00 pm Tuesday December 9th and 1:00 am Wednesday morning. He agrees it doesn't actually look like rape, but he will know more after the autopsy on Thursday.

We left Jeff at the scene where he'll collect the normal CSI data. We did interview the security man, who seemed reluctant to provide details regarding how long Nidda had been renting the apartment. I know that Mr. Farina owns the Carnegie Hill Complex. Farina is the CEO of Genovese Enterprises and he runs a very tight hand on his employees and what they say to the police.

Oliva and I pressed him and he finally said that Nidda's rent was paid by a Charles Stiles, the Executive Vice President of New York Life Insurance. I called the phone number the security man gave me on Thursday morning and Charles' wife, Carla answered. She said he was already at work and gave me that number. I chose  not to tell her why I called.

Charles' secretary answered the phone and said he was in a meeting so I asked her to call me back. He called back an hour later and I suggested it might be better if he came over to the 5th Precinct where we could talk in private rather than people see a pair of police detectives in his office. He asked what it was regarding, since he obviously didn't see the news on CBS yet.

When I told him Nidda Head was found dead, he truly sounded surprised, or at least faked it well. He said he'd be over directly and was at the 5th in under twenty minutes. Olivia was out on another case so I spoke with him alone, with the DA standing out side the glass mirror watching.

I explained what we found as he looked stunned. I asked a few pointed questions, including where he was that Tuesday evening. He hesitated, then said he had dinner with her that night then went home around nine. I asked if his wife could verify that and he asked if he needed a lawyer. As soon as he asked about the lawyer, I stopped questioning him, telling him he wasn't being arrested, but he might prefer one since he was a person of interest. He said that he needed to talk with his wife, before she learned about Ms. Head.

I advised him not to leave town and he understood how guilty that might make him look. I said we would want to get back together on Saturday. He left pretty distraught and I just wasn't quite sure if he was guilty. I needed more information from Garret Macy after he finished the autopsy and Olivia was questioning other people at Carnegie Hil and picking up the security tapes they offered that might confirm the time Charles entered and left her apartment and who else might be seen in that hallway.

[Rachel]

(posted by Rachel as Carla)

Carla
=======
December 12, 2008

Charles walked in our brownstone home at 113 East 72nd Street much earlier than normal and I tried to play dumb about the police call this morning. He sat me down and started explaining how and why he was seduced by this sexy model, Nidda Head. He said he had nothing to do with her death, that he had ended the relationship weeks ago, and had only been in her apartment to try and talk her into quit calling him.

I didn't cry and I didn't make it easy for him, but I did tell him that I believed him and that I not only support him, I would go get him an attorney that seldom ever loses a case. He has no idea that I slept with Alan Shore while in college and that I think I can get Alan to take his case.

[Chris Meloni]

Chris Meloni
============
December 14, 2008

On Saturday I interviewed Carla Stiles at the 5th Precinct. She made it quite clear that she doesn't believe her husband, Charles murdered Nidda Head. She said he was home by 9:30 that night and never left. She's in the process of obtaining a lawyer she's known for years  to represent him.

She said that although she's really upset that Charles had Nidda set up like his mistress, she'll support him if he's arrested as the potential murderer. Why do I feel uncomfortable with this situation?

What we need is the autopsy report from Garret Macy. Those tapes  from the Carnegie Hill security people did show Charles entering the Hill around 6:30 pm on Tuesday night like he claims, but for some reason the security cameras failed the rest of the night. Loopholes that make this case much different. We're still hoping to find more witnesses.

[Rachel]

(posted by Rachel as Carla)

Carla
=======
December 14, 2008

I left the 5th Precinct and hurried over to the offices of Crane, Poole & Schmidt to meet with Alan Shore. He was on his way out when I arrived, but he recognized me immediately as his hot blooded little number back in our college days.

He took me back in his office where I explained that I am Charles Stiles' wife and desperately needed Alan to represent Charles. He agreed to meet with Charles, hear his side of the story, and decide if he can be his attorney. Hopefully, Charles won't actually be charged, but he definitely is a "person of interest" to the police.

Alan is as handsome as ever and I felt those little tingles when he hugged me as we left. Could I use him to get even with my wandering husband? Certainly not until this situation was over and done with. There is too much at risk at the moment. I'd signed a prenuptial agreement when marrying Charles which weighs heavily on my mind.

[TimTheEnchanter]

( Posted by Tim as Garret Macy )

Autopsy report – December 14, 2008

Garret Macy, Medical Examiner, City of New York

The body of a white female, identified as one Nidda Head aged 28 was found in Carnagie Hill Apartments on December 10th.  The body was found naked in bed with a pillow over her face.  Preliminary investigation shows no contusions or bruising consistent with restraint on arms or legs of the body. Cause of death has been determined to be suffocation.  Lack of bruising to the neck indicates obstruction of the mouth and nose to be the apparent means of suffocation.  This would be consistent with the pillow found at the scene of the crime.

Further investigation of the body found evidence of recent sexual activity.  Seminal fluid samples taken from the body were sent to the DNA lab and two distinct individual analysis returned indicating sexual activity with multiple male partners in the preceding 24 to 48 hour period.  The DNA lab ran a check against Mr. Charles Stiles at the request of Detective Chris Meloni and got a match to one of the samples.  The other male partner is still unknown at this time.

Time of death has been determined to be between 10pm December 9, 2008 and 1am December 10, 2008.

[TimTheEnchanter]

( Posted by Tim as Garret Macy )

Autopsy report supplemental -- December 15, 2008

Garret Macy, Medical Examiner, City of New York

Additional blood chemistry report shows the presence of ether in the body of Nidda Head, white female, aged 28.  Rendering the victim unconscious before suffocation would be consistent with the lack of bruising found on the body and no evidence of struggle, no hair, fibers, or skin under the nails.  Cause of death remains suffocation with the assistance of anesthesia.  Detective Meloni of the CSI unit was notified of my findings on Monday evening.

[Rachel]

(posted by Rachel as Carla Stiles)

Carla
=======
December 16, 2008

On Monday evening Alan Shore arrived at our home to meet with Charles. Things went pretty well and Alan has decided to take Charles on as a client. He'll help him deal with the police during the interrogations and in court if Charles is actually charged with Nidda Head's murder.

I listened quietly as they talked and was a bit surprised when Alan said that the security cameras in the hallways did confirm Charles arrival at her apartment at around 6:30 pm the night of the murder. I asked Alan to try and find out what else they might have on those tapes and he said he have all that information now once he speaks with the DA.

[TimTheEnchanter]

( posted by Tim as Alan Shore )

Alan Shore
 Attorney
===========

I met with the former Carla Smith, now Carla Stiles and her husband Charles Stiles on Monday evening in their home.  They have a lovely brownstone in a fashionable section of town.  I'd guess Charles does quite well for himself as Executive VP at New York Life.  I asked him the standard opening questions, and then bluntly asked him if he killed Nidda Head without warning.  The shock and surprise, followed by anger were real enough on his face to convince me that he did not kill her.  I'm sure some of the questions were a little bit uncomfortable for him to answer with his wife Carla sitting across the room with her feet curled up in her chair.  I tried not to think of the short-lived but passionate fling she and I had while we were in college.  I'm sure that's why she sought my firm out when looking for an attorney for her husband, but it might make things ... interesting to say the least.  I told Charles that I would represent him and suggested that he meet me down at my office on Tuesday morning so we could go over the things he should and shouldn't be discussing with the police when they undoubtedly want to speak with him again.  Leaving their home with a kiss on the cheek from Carla at the front door had me wondering if she was playing nice, or playing with Charles' mind, trying to entice a little bit of jealousy for his indiscretions with the deceased.

I spent early Tuesday at the 5th precinct identifying myself to Chris Meloni as Charles Stiles attorney he let me know what evidence they had uncovered so far.  Detective Meloni made it clear that Charles had not yet been charged with anything, but that he remained a "person of interest".  I scanned the medical examiners report, taking note of the time of death, between 10pm and 1am, the ether found in the body, as well as Ms Head's apparent multiple male partners shortly before her demise.  The report made mention of the fact that one of the male partners was positively identified as Charles Stiles and I asked if the other had been identified yet.  Detective Meloni said they had not but that they were running cross checks against known individuals in the city now and he would call my office with any new information.  I asked about the security tapes from Carnagie Hill for the night of December 9th.  Detective Meloni seemed particularly annoyed at that question and informed me that the tapes did show Charles Stiles opening apartment 1901 at 7:20pm with a key from his own pocket, but that the security cameras were unaccountably bypassed and nothing after 8:00pm was recorded.  We agreed that the cameras going off presented challenges to us both.  I asked if he knew if the cameras for entire building went off or just the 19th floor.  He said it was just the 19th floor.  It looks like someone didn't want to be seen.  Fortunately for my client, he was seen entering the apartment and not leaving, thus eliminating him for the moment from the person responsible for the camera shutdown.

Charles Stiles showed up at my office around 10am on Tuesday and we spent two hours going over every detail of the evening of December the 9th.  Yes, he had gone to the apartment he rented for Nidda Head at Carnegie Hill around 7:30 that evening.  I asked him if he had sex with her, and he simply nodded his head in affirmation.  We spoke about their relationship at some length and it became apparent that his reassurances to Carla not withstanding, he had no intention of terminating the affair with Ms Head.  I thought about bringing up the fact that Ms Head was not keeping him as her only playmate, but I needed to find out who the other man was before I dropped that one on him.  I didn't ask for details of their last hour of passion, but Charles informed me that he left the apartment at approximately 9pm that evening.  That seemed reasonable for his arrival back home, confirmed by Carla to be 9:30pm.

After lunch on Wednesday I got a call from Detective Meloni.  They had matched the second DNA sample from Ms Head.  It belonged to a photographer named Bobby Campbell.  Detective Meloni informed me that Bobby Campbell was the primary photographer for Ms Head's modeling career.  Detective Meloni  confirmed that they would also be considering Mr Campbell as a "person of interest" along with my client Mr Stiles.  He asked if Mr Stiles would be available to answer some additional questions at the 5th precinct, and I informed him that we would both be happy to cooperate with the police and I would contact him as soon as I was able to schedule a time with my client.

[Nelle Porter]

Nelle Porter
==========
December 19, 2008

On Friday Lindsay Davis invited me to have  lunch with her at the Palm Court. the first fllor restaurant in the Plaza Hotel. She has a reserved window seat and lunches with her usually mean she has something to pass along. Friday was no different. While we sipped wine and surveyed the menu, she said she had some information related to the Nidda Head murder I might be able to use.

Turns out that Lindsay introduced Carla Stiles to one of Lindsay's prime information sources, Gina Reynolds. Apparently, Carla hired Gina to follow Charles around and see if he was messing around with another woman. Gina, of course, informed her that he had Nidda Head shacked up in that apartment he rented in Carnegie Hill. Gina also knew that Nidda was a model that Bobby Campbell was also nailing.

Since she was burdened by that prenuptial agreement, Carla agreed to pay her big bucks if Gina could get photos of them during intercourse. That way she could prove he was cheating on her during a divorce settlement. So Gina followed Charles over there, snuck in the empty apartment next door after disconnecting the security cameras and got the photos Carla desperately needed.

Lindsay said that Gina apparently left right after she got the photos. Assuming that's true, we still aren't sure when Charles really left, but it looks like he was the last person known to have seen Nidda alive. It's beginning to look like we just might have a case against Charles.

The next step is to interview all of the people involved and find out who's lying.

The initial interview was with Charles Stiles and Alan Shore. It went easier than expected, possibly because Alan had prepped Charles up. He acknowledged the times he supposedly arrived, 7:30, and when he supposedly left, around 9:00 pm. That matched up with when his wife said he arrived home. The item that rattled him most was when I said that Bobby Campbell screwed Nidda a few hours  before he did. Alan had to work hard to stifle his apparent rage, the kind of anger that might actually lose control and smother his victim.

Next it was his wife, Carla, who I had stashed in the adjoining room. I upset her quickly when I confronted her with the fact that she had hired Gina Reynolds to spy on Charles. She refused to answer my questions and Alan had to request a time out until he had an opportunity to discuss that situation with both her and Gina Reynolds.

My next interview was a private one with Bobby Campbell who I know quite well. He's a notorious womanizer, but not the type man that would kill a woman, unless she died of pleasure, at least that's what I hear from those that have spent an evening with him. He not only admitted screwing Nidda that day, he bragged about what he called making her thrash around in sheer passion. He said he was really disappointed to hear that Charles no doubt lost his temper and killed her if he found out who else Nidda was toying  with these days.

Last, but not least, I spent over an hour prying some information out of Gina Reynolds. She confirmed everything that Lindsay had told me, including a few more details. Like the fact that Charles was quite angry over Nidda's activities, angry enough that Gina thinks he might even be the person that killed her.

I'm beginning to think that Carla is lying to support her wealthy husband. If I can put together a reasonable case I think I might charge Charles with the murder.

[Nelle Porter]

Nelle Porter
December 21, 2008

On Sunday morning I called Gina Reynolds using her cell phone number and reached her in her 2103 Carnegie Hill apartment. I asked her to join me for breakfast in my 23rd floor apartment at Carnegie Hill. She arrived a little the worse for wear after an all night paparazzi assignment. I gave her an orange juice and champagne picker upper, scrambled eggs and potato pancakes, one of my personal favorites. During breakfast I agreed to never press charges on several violations of rules she used to get those photos for Carla Stiles.

Then after our nice breakfast we met Chris Meloni down on the 19th floor. Gina showed us how she disconnected the security cameras in the stairwell boxes at 8:00 pm, so she could sneak into the empty apartment with back to back bedrooms to the one where Nidda Head was murdered.

By simply removing one of the back to back A/C vents, she had a clear view of the bed where Charles had sex with Nidda. We pressed her for details and she said that even though they were arguing a bit in the living room before entering the bedroom, the sex scenes were dramatic and both parties certainly enjoyed it.

Charles got dressed leaving Nidda lounging happily naked in her bed. I asked if Charles left immediately, but Gina said no, in fact she heard him making noises in the rest of the apartment and he even made a phone call. When he returned to the bedroom Nidda was asleep. He leaned over apparently kissing her goodbye, so Gina shut down and hurried to leave so he wouldn't see her in the hallway. I asked her if she checked the time. She said not as she left, but it only took her possibly five minutes to walk up the four floors to her 21st floor apartment where she glanced at the clock on the wall which said 9:35 pm.

That meant both Charles and Carla were incorrect by at least possibly as much as an hour. Based on that information I visited Judge Gamble in her 24th floor apartment, obtained a search warrant for the Stiles residence and sent Chris and Olivia to arrest Charles. Jeff Mallard and his CSI team then searched the brownstone home throughout. Guess what they found under  Charles' bathroom sink? Diethyl ether, the compound found in Nidda's system during the autopsy.

With that information in hand, I charged Charles with murder in the first degree and requested an arraignment with Judge Gamble on Monday.

[Rachel]

(posted by Rachel as Carla Stiles)

Carla
=======
December 21, 2008

It was Sunday afternoon and the last of the CSI team were finally gone. Charles was in jail at the 5th Precinct charged with the murder of Nidda Head. I was really pleased to find Alan Shore at the door, here to help me prepare for the upcoming trial.

I made us both a scotch and we sat in the living room as he explained the situation and asked me if I was sure Charles was home by 9:30 pm on the night Nidda was murdered as I claimed. I said it had to be before ten since The Mentalist TV show was still in progress. I knew he was staring at me in that sexy little black dress.

We decided to practice how I would handle my testimony in the upcoming trial. We both tried to concentrate but he soon had his hands all over me and we wound up doing the nasty right there on the leather sofa. Yes, our past wild affair in college was too much to resist.

Once we were dressed, he said we really needed to resist doing that again during the trial. He said he was sure he could get Charles out on bail since the trail would have to wait until January.

[Rachel]

(posted by Rachel as Carla Stiles)

Carla
=======
December 23rd, 2008

I sat in the back of the courtroom and  watched Charles' arraignment. Nelle Porter charged him with first degree murder saying he was the only one there the night that his mistress, Nidda Head, was murdered. He was angry because she was sleeping around on him, and he used diethyl ether, the compound found in Nidda's system during the autopsy, to make it easy for him to smother her with a pillow.

Our lawyer, Alan Shore, responded promptly saying……  Not guilty, your honor…. he was at home with his wife before 10:00 that night and the medical examiner has set the time of death as much later, between 10:00 pm and 1:00 am.

Nelle said that the police were very concerned that Mr. Stiles might flee the state or even the country and has the financial resources to support that. She asked that he be remanded.

Alan laughed and said that was ridiculous… Mr. Stiles is a well known and highly respected New York Life Executive Vice President… He has no reason to leave since he's innocent and we will prove that in front of a jury.

Judge Gamble said that she had heard enough…. setting Mr. Stiles' bail at one million dollars…… The trial date will be set in January after the holidays.

It was too late to go to the bank that night so Alan and I headed off to find Gina Reynolds. We found her in Mahoney's Irish Pub along with the same woman wearing tight jeans that I saw at the arraignment, something that concerned me. So we took Gina away with us where I paid her $1000 in cash for the envelope of photos of Charles  screwing Nidda Head.

Then Alan slept over in my master bedroom bed. It was a delightful evening.

On Tuesday we met with Angela  Black where we set up the bail  money for Charles, then headed to the courthouse to put up the bond money.  On the way we played in the back seat of the taxi, even to the extent that the driver had to keep circling the courthouse until we finished.

Then it was off to bail Charles out. He was pretty irritated that he had to stay in there another night and  we wound up arguing in our Upper east Side brownstone. I showed him the photos of him and Nidda screwing away the night of the murder and accused him of lying about ending that affair. I told him I moved his stuff out of the master bedroom and he will have to sleep in a guest room from now on. I told him I wanted a new agreement regarding the prenup I signed.

More arguing as he ran upstairs and jumped in the bed, sayin it was HIS house, his bedroom and I could sleep where I chose. I was afraid he might strike me so I packed an overnight bag, called a taxi and headed for the Plaza Hotel for the night. I left a message for Alan on his cell phone saying I might need a restraining order

[TimTheEnchanter]

( posted by Tim as Charles Stiles )

Charles Stiles -- December 23, 2008

Carla and my defense attorney Alan Shore finally showed up to bail me out of that craphole of a police precinct after spending another night there.  I needed a shower and a fresh set of clothes and Carla's constant badgering me about Nidda was not what I needed to hear all the way home in the taxi.  She continued when we got into the house and a real argument ensued where we both made several threats.  She threatened to leave, and not testify that I was home the night of Nidda's murder.  I threatened to move all my money off-shore and leave her with nothing, not even the hefty prenuptual agreement of 2.68 million.

It got worse when she said that she'd moved my things into a spare bedroom in the house.  I raised my voice and said it was my house and I'd sleep where I damn well pleased.  She countered with it was "our house" and she had a say in this.  I laughed and asked when she contributed a dime to the house.  I patted her cheek, smiled,  and walked upstairs telling her that I was sleeping in my own bedroom, and she could sleep wherever she liked.

That pretty much did it.  She packed a few things in a bag and said that she was going to get a restraining order and she'd be spending the night at a hotel.  I wished her good luck with that as I laid on the bed in the master bedoom with my feet crossed and my hands behind my head.  I asked how her resume was looking, and then reminded her, "oh yeah... you've never had a real job in your life have you?"

She slammed the front door shut and I picked up the bedside telephone, dialing Marty Goldman's home number since it was late.  Marty has been my estate attorney and financial advisor for many years now.  I told Marty that I wanted him to find out just how long it would take to transfer as much of my assets to a bank in the Caymans as I could.  I told him not to start anything yet.  I just wanted to know.  If Carla decided to not testify in my defense I think I may have a real problem there.  I will call Alan tomorrow morning and get a feeling for how he thinks things will go before I call Marty and tell him how to proceed.  If I decide to fly, I'll lose the 1 million dollars in bail, but if I successfully move my assets quickly enough, I won't pay a cent to that little bitch of a wife, which puts me 1.68 million up on the deal.  I can live with that kind of return pretty easily.

I'm off to the shower and a better nights sleep than I've had sitting in that jail cell.

[Bridget Martin]

Good afternoon, Bridget Martin, Channel 2 CBS News reporter
January 3rd 2009

Judge Helen Gamble has set the Charles Stiles murder trial to commence on Monday January 5th. I plan to be there in the back row of the courtroom for what looks to be one of the most interesting cases in years. Alan Shore, the famous defense attorney of Crane, Poole & Schmidt, will be representing Mr. Stiles versus Nelle Porter, our New York City District Attorney.  Nelle is dead sure that Charles smothered Ms. Nidda Head, in spite of the not guilty plea Alan offers. Alan is counting heavily upon the testimony of Charles' wife, Carla, who claims Charles was home by 9:30 pm on Tuesday, December 9th. If that's really true, there was no way Charles could be guilty since Garret Macy, our New York City Medical Examiner, has set the time of death between 10:00 pm on Tuesday night and 1:00 pm Wednesday morning. Could Charles have gone back out after tucking Carla in bed? Who really knows? How will the jury find in this thrilling case? Stay tuned!