Christopher Caddell, 22 Musician and athlete loved sports, jazz, rhythm and blues
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Funeral arrangements have been set for Christopher Scott Caddell, 22, of Westerleigh, a musician remembered for his quiet wit and his athleticism, whose body was found in Bulls Head Wednesday morning.
The Westerleigh native went to Markham Intermediate School in Graniteville, and attended St. Joseph by-the-Sea High School as a freshman, playing tennis and running track there, and playing drums in the school band. He then attended Moore Catholic High School in Graniteville, and completed his high school education at Cross Creek Academy in Utah.
Mr. Caddell loved sports, especially basketball. When he was 11, he was dubbed the "home run king" of Westerleigh Park for slamming 17 round-trippers over the course of one summer. He had a passion for jazz and rhythm and blues music, and had worked as a stagehand for several music festivals across the country, including the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, the Newport Jazz and Folk festivals and the Saratoga Jazz Festival.
"He was quiet but funny," said his mother, Joan Caddell. "He was a very sensitive kid, a very active kid." Mr. Caddell had a soft spot for animals, and was devoted to his dog, Pearl, and his cat, Charlotte. He enjoyed spending time with his friends, and his girlfriend of almost a year, Michelle Mafaro. He attended St. Adalbert's R.C. Church, Elm Park.
In addition to his mother, surviving are his father, Scott; his brother, Ian; his paternal grandparents, Robert and Joan Caddell, and his maternal grandmother, Josephine Nerlino.
The funeral will be tomorrow from the Matthew Funeral Home, Willowbrook, with a mass at 9:30 a.m. in St. Adalbert's Church. Burial will follow in St. Peter's Cemetery, West Brighton.
Update 1 Dec 2010:
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A Port Richmond man will spend 23 years behind bars for his role in the slaying of a Westerleigh resident last year in Bulls Head.
Kevin Cocozello, 22, pleaded guilty today in state Supreme Court, St. George, to first-degree manslaughter stemming from the Sept. 16, 2009, murder of Christopher Caddell.
Authorities said Caddell, a 22-year-old musician, was beaten to death with a baseball bat during a robbery. His body was discovered about 2 a.m. on a walkway near an abandoned townhouse on Gary Court.
According to Advance reports, prosecutors said another suspect, Edward McHugh, 21, of Oakwood, had lured Caddell early in the morning to the vacant building. McHugh allegedly told police he and Cocozello intended to rob the victim.
Investigators allege Cocozello hit Caddell on the back of the head with the bat. Cocozello and McHugh then left the dying man on the side walkway to the building.
The desolate path where the victim was found leads to a small, secluded backyard area with a fence in the back.
Cocozello maintained in court that McHugh actually had pummeled Caddell with the bat.
Yet even if Cocozello's account proved true, he still could have been convicted of felony murder for committing a felony -- namely, robbery -- during which a death occurred, said the defendant's lawyer Mark J. Fonte.
Cocozello entered his plea prior to the start of an evidentiary hearing.
McHugh's court file is sealed.
"This plea, made in consultation with the family of Christopher Caddell, ensures that this defendant will be held to account for this senseless crime and serve a prison sentence in excess of two decades behind bars, " said District Attorney Daniel Donovan in a statement.
Assistant District Attorney Yolanda L. Rudich is prosecuting the case.
In a statement issued through her Manhattan-based lawyer Stephen S. La Rocca, the victim's mother, Joan Nerlino Caddell said she and her loved ones are still trying to cope.
"The family continues to feel extreme pain and loss," she said. "[But] we want to express our gratitude to the D.A.'s office, the detectives involved and the judiciary for their hard work and dedication."
Cocozello's sentencing is slated for Jan. 6 before Justice Robert J. Collini.
"There are no winners here," said Fonte, the defense lawyer. "Both families have suffered tremendously."
Besides prison time, Cocozello faces a civil wrongful death lawsuit filed by Ms. Caddell. McHugh also has been sued in that case.
In a separate action, Ms. Caddell has sued the city, Police Department and Fire Department.
She alleges that emergency personnel initially dispatched to the scene failed to find her dying son, despite his "crying out for help." Those responders were "only a few feet away" from her son, Ms. Caddell contends.
The victim was only discovered at some point later, when police returned to the site, she maintains.
Caddell had expired by then.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Funeral arrangements have been set for Christopher Scott Caddell, 22, of Westerleigh, a musician remembered for his quiet wit and his athleticism, whose body was found in Bulls Head Wednesday morning.
The Westerleigh native went to Markham Intermediate School in Graniteville, and attended St. Joseph by-the-Sea High School as a freshman, playing tennis and running track there, and playing drums in the school band. He then attended Moore Catholic High School in Graniteville, and completed his high school education at Cross Creek Academy in Utah.
Mr. Caddell loved sports, especially basketball. When he was 11, he was dubbed the "home run king" of Westerleigh Park for slamming 17 round-trippers over the course of one summer. He had a passion for jazz and rhythm and blues music, and had worked as a stagehand for several music festivals across the country, including the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, the Newport Jazz and Folk festivals and the Saratoga Jazz Festival.
"He was quiet but funny," said his mother, Joan Caddell. "He was a very sensitive kid, a very active kid." Mr. Caddell had a soft spot for animals, and was devoted to his dog, Pearl, and his cat, Charlotte. He enjoyed spending time with his friends, and his girlfriend of almost a year, Michelle Mafaro. He attended St. Adalbert's R.C. Church, Elm Park.
In addition to his mother, surviving are his father, Scott; his brother, Ian; his paternal grandparents, Robert and Joan Caddell, and his maternal grandmother, Josephine Nerlino.
The funeral will be tomorrow from the Matthew Funeral Home, Willowbrook, with a mass at 9:30 a.m. in St. Adalbert's Church. Burial will follow in St. Peter's Cemetery, West Brighton.
Update 1 Dec 2010:
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A Port Richmond man will spend 23 years behind bars for his role in the slaying of a Westerleigh resident last year in Bulls Head.
Kevin Cocozello, 22, pleaded guilty today in state Supreme Court, St. George, to first-degree manslaughter stemming from the Sept. 16, 2009, murder of Christopher Caddell.
Authorities said Caddell, a 22-year-old musician, was beaten to death with a baseball bat during a robbery. His body was discovered about 2 a.m. on a walkway near an abandoned townhouse on Gary Court.
According to Advance reports, prosecutors said another suspect, Edward McHugh, 21, of Oakwood, had lured Caddell early in the morning to the vacant building. McHugh allegedly told police he and Cocozello intended to rob the victim.
Investigators allege Cocozello hit Caddell on the back of the head with the bat. Cocozello and McHugh then left the dying man on the side walkway to the building.
The desolate path where the victim was found leads to a small, secluded backyard area with a fence in the back.
Cocozello maintained in court that McHugh actually had pummeled Caddell with the bat.
Yet even if Cocozello's account proved true, he still could have been convicted of felony murder for committing a felony -- namely, robbery -- during which a death occurred, said the defendant's lawyer Mark J. Fonte.
Cocozello entered his plea prior to the start of an evidentiary hearing.
McHugh's court file is sealed.
"This plea, made in consultation with the family of Christopher Caddell, ensures that this defendant will be held to account for this senseless crime and serve a prison sentence in excess of two decades behind bars, " said District Attorney Daniel Donovan in a statement.
Assistant District Attorney Yolanda L. Rudich is prosecuting the case.
In a statement issued through her Manhattan-based lawyer Stephen S. La Rocca, the victim's mother, Joan Nerlino Caddell said she and her loved ones are still trying to cope.
"The family continues to feel extreme pain and loss," she said. "[But] we want to express our gratitude to the D.A.'s office, the detectives involved and the judiciary for their hard work and dedication."
Cocozello's sentencing is slated for Jan. 6 before Justice Robert J. Collini.
"There are no winners here," said Fonte, the defense lawyer. "Both families have suffered tremendously."
Besides prison time, Cocozello faces a civil wrongful death lawsuit filed by Ms. Caddell. McHugh also has been sued in that case.
In a separate action, Ms. Caddell has sued the city, Police Department and Fire Department.
She alleges that emergency personnel initially dispatched to the scene failed to find her dying son, despite his "crying out for help." Those responders were "only a few feet away" from her son, Ms. Caddell contends.
The victim was only discovered at some point later, when police returned to the site, she maintains.
Caddell had expired by then.
Christopher Caddell, 22 Musician and athlete loved sports, jazz, rhythm and blues
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Funeral arrangements have been set for Christopher Scott Caddell, 22, of Westerleigh, a musician remembered for his quiet wit and his athleticism, whose body was found in Bulls Head Wednesday morning.
The Westerleigh native went to Markham Intermediate School in Graniteville, and attended St. Joseph by-the-Sea High School as a freshman, playing tennis and running track there, and playing drums in the school band. He then attended Moore Catholic High School in Graniteville, and completed his high school education at Cross Creek Academy in Utah.
Mr. Caddell loved sports, especially basketball. When he was 11, he was dubbed the "home run king" of Westerleigh Park for slamming 17 round-trippers over the course of one summer. He had a passion for jazz and rhythm and blues music, and had worked as a stagehand for several music festivals across the country, including the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, the Newport Jazz and Folk festivals and the Saratoga Jazz Festival.
"He was quiet but funny," said his mother, Joan Caddell. "He was a very sensitive kid, a very active kid." Mr. Caddell had a soft spot for animals, and was devoted to his dog, Pearl, and his cat, Charlotte. He enjoyed spending time with his friends, and his girlfriend of almost a year, Michelle Mafaro. He attended St. Adalbert's R.C. Church, Elm Park.
In addition to his mother, surviving are his father, Scott; his brother, Ian; his paternal grandparents, Robert and Joan Caddell, and his maternal grandmother, Josephine Nerlino.
The funeral will be tomorrow from the Matthew Funeral Home, Willowbrook, with a mass at 9:30 a.m. in St. Adalbert's Church. Burial will follow in St. Peter's Cemetery, West Brighton.
Update 1 Dec 2010:
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A Port Richmond man will spend 23 years behind bars for his role in the slaying of a Westerleigh resident last year in Bulls Head.
Kevin Cocozello, 22, pleaded guilty today in state Supreme Court, St. George, to first-degree manslaughter stemming from the Sept. 16, 2009, murder of Christopher Caddell.
Authorities said Caddell, a 22-year-old musician, was beaten to death with a baseball bat during a robbery. His body was discovered about 2 a.m. on a walkway near an abandoned townhouse on Gary Court.
According to Advance reports, prosecutors said another suspect, Edward McHugh, 21, of Oakwood, had lured Caddell early in the morning to the vacant building. McHugh allegedly told police he and Cocozello intended to rob the victim.
Investigators allege Cocozello hit Caddell on the back of the head with the bat. Cocozello and McHugh then left the dying man on the side walkway to the building.
The desolate path where the victim was found leads to a small, secluded backyard area with a fence in the back.
Cocozello maintained in court that McHugh actually had pummeled Caddell with the bat.
Yet even if Cocozello's account proved true, he still could have been convicted of felony murder for committing a felony -- namely, robbery -- during which a death occurred, said the defendant's lawyer Mark J. Fonte.
Cocozello entered his plea prior to the start of an evidentiary hearing.
McHugh's court file is sealed.
"This plea, made in consultation with the family of Christopher Caddell, ensures that this defendant will be held to account for this senseless crime and serve a prison sentence in excess of two decades behind bars, " said District Attorney Daniel Donovan in a statement.
Assistant District Attorney Yolanda L. Rudich is prosecuting the case.
In a statement issued through her Manhattan-based lawyer Stephen S. La Rocca, the victim's mother, Joan Nerlino Caddell said she and her loved ones are still trying to cope.
"The family continues to feel extreme pain and loss," she said. "[But] we want to express our gratitude to the D.A.'s office, the detectives involved and the judiciary for their hard work and dedication."
Cocozello's sentencing is slated for Jan. 6 before Justice Robert J. Collini.
"There are no winners here," said Fonte, the defense lawyer. "Both families have suffered tremendously."
Besides prison time, Cocozello faces a civil wrongful death lawsuit filed by Ms. Caddell. McHugh also has been sued in that case.
In a separate action, Ms. Caddell has sued the city, Police Department and Fire Department.
She alleges that emergency personnel initially dispatched to the scene failed to find her dying son, despite his "crying out for help." Those responders were "only a few feet away" from her son, Ms. Caddell contends.
The victim was only discovered at some point later, when police returned to the site, she maintains.
Caddell had expired by then.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Funeral arrangements have been set for Christopher Scott Caddell, 22, of Westerleigh, a musician remembered for his quiet wit and his athleticism, whose body was found in Bulls Head Wednesday morning.
The Westerleigh native went to Markham Intermediate School in Graniteville, and attended St. Joseph by-the-Sea High School as a freshman, playing tennis and running track there, and playing drums in the school band. He then attended Moore Catholic High School in Graniteville, and completed his high school education at Cross Creek Academy in Utah.
Mr. Caddell loved sports, especially basketball. When he was 11, he was dubbed the "home run king" of Westerleigh Park for slamming 17 round-trippers over the course of one summer. He had a passion for jazz and rhythm and blues music, and had worked as a stagehand for several music festivals across the country, including the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, the Newport Jazz and Folk festivals and the Saratoga Jazz Festival.
"He was quiet but funny," said his mother, Joan Caddell. "He was a very sensitive kid, a very active kid." Mr. Caddell had a soft spot for animals, and was devoted to his dog, Pearl, and his cat, Charlotte. He enjoyed spending time with his friends, and his girlfriend of almost a year, Michelle Mafaro. He attended St. Adalbert's R.C. Church, Elm Park.
In addition to his mother, surviving are his father, Scott; his brother, Ian; his paternal grandparents, Robert and Joan Caddell, and his maternal grandmother, Josephine Nerlino.
The funeral will be tomorrow from the Matthew Funeral Home, Willowbrook, with a mass at 9:30 a.m. in St. Adalbert's Church. Burial will follow in St. Peter's Cemetery, West Brighton.
Update 1 Dec 2010:
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A Port Richmond man will spend 23 years behind bars for his role in the slaying of a Westerleigh resident last year in Bulls Head.
Kevin Cocozello, 22, pleaded guilty today in state Supreme Court, St. George, to first-degree manslaughter stemming from the Sept. 16, 2009, murder of Christopher Caddell.
Authorities said Caddell, a 22-year-old musician, was beaten to death with a baseball bat during a robbery. His body was discovered about 2 a.m. on a walkway near an abandoned townhouse on Gary Court.
According to Advance reports, prosecutors said another suspect, Edward McHugh, 21, of Oakwood, had lured Caddell early in the morning to the vacant building. McHugh allegedly told police he and Cocozello intended to rob the victim.
Investigators allege Cocozello hit Caddell on the back of the head with the bat. Cocozello and McHugh then left the dying man on the side walkway to the building.
The desolate path where the victim was found leads to a small, secluded backyard area with a fence in the back.
Cocozello maintained in court that McHugh actually had pummeled Caddell with the bat.
Yet even if Cocozello's account proved true, he still could have been convicted of felony murder for committing a felony -- namely, robbery -- during which a death occurred, said the defendant's lawyer Mark J. Fonte.
Cocozello entered his plea prior to the start of an evidentiary hearing.
McHugh's court file is sealed.
"This plea, made in consultation with the family of Christopher Caddell, ensures that this defendant will be held to account for this senseless crime and serve a prison sentence in excess of two decades behind bars, " said District Attorney Daniel Donovan in a statement.
Assistant District Attorney Yolanda L. Rudich is prosecuting the case.
In a statement issued through her Manhattan-based lawyer Stephen S. La Rocca, the victim's mother, Joan Nerlino Caddell said she and her loved ones are still trying to cope.
"The family continues to feel extreme pain and loss," she said. "[But] we want to express our gratitude to the D.A.'s office, the detectives involved and the judiciary for their hard work and dedication."
Cocozello's sentencing is slated for Jan. 6 before Justice Robert J. Collini.
"There are no winners here," said Fonte, the defense lawyer. "Both families have suffered tremendously."
Besides prison time, Cocozello faces a civil wrongful death lawsuit filed by Ms. Caddell. McHugh also has been sued in that case.
In a separate action, Ms. Caddell has sued the city, Police Department and Fire Department.
She alleges that emergency personnel initially dispatched to the scene failed to find her dying son, despite his "crying out for help." Those responders were "only a few feet away" from her son, Ms. Caddell contends.
The victim was only discovered at some point later, when police returned to the site, she maintains.
Caddell had expired by then.
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
