Linda Stein and the apartment at 151 Central Park West

The former home of murdered broker-to-the-stars [more]

It took just four hours for a jury to convict Natavia Lowery of murdering her boss and broker-to-the-stars Linda Stein. Natavia Lowery, 28, was found guilty today of second-degree murder and 21 counts of grand larceny, identity theft, forgery and petty larceny. She faces up to life in prison. Following an argument, Lowery brutally beat Stein, 62, to death Oct. 30, 2007 inside the Prudential Douglas Elliman broker’s 18th-floor penthouse apartment at 965 Fifth Avenue, between 77th and 78th streets. The prosecution’s case featured written and videotaped confessions in which Lowery said she beat Stein with a yoga stick, surveillance footage, phone records, bank records, cell phone tower and subway card records to track movement as well as witnesses. Stein was widely-known for her multi-million listings and celebrity clientele, including Billy Joel, Sting, Michael Douglas and Steven Spielberg, and her past as a manager to punk rock group the Ramones. TRD
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More than five hours after Linda Stein was believed to have been bludgeoned to death inside her Fifth Avenue apartment, her personal assistant left a message on the one-time punk rock manager turned celebrity real estate broker’s voice mail (listen to audio clip above). “Hey Linda, it’s Natavia,” began the message, which was played at the murder trial of the assistant, Natavia Lowery, in Manhattan Supreme Court. As the voice mail continued, Lowery, 28, told Stein that her ex-husband Seymour had called earlier that day then stated it was around 5:30 p.m. and that she was “leaving the office,” purportedly referring to the office of Prudential Douglas Elliman where Stein worked. “I hope that the [property] showing goes well,” Lowery’s brief message ended, “and I’ll see you tomorrow.” [more]

From left: Mandy Stein, daughter of the late broker Linda Stein (middle), and defendant Natavia Lowery

A lawyer for Natavia Lowery, the woman charged with killing Linda Stein, a former celebrity real estate broker and punk rock manager, said yesterday his client falsely admitted to the murder to give the detectives who questioned her “what they wanted to hear.”
The lawyer, John Christie, said the detectives who investigated Stein’s murder invited his client, Lowery, 28, to meet with them in a diner in November 2007. She was then taken to the 7th police precinct and questioned for 10 hours. Lowery had gotten through life by telling people “what they wanted to hear,” Christie said, and she did the same that day, wishing to end the interrogation.
Stein, 62, was found bludgeoned on the floor of her Fifth Avenue apartment Oct. 30, 2007. Stein’s family sold 18C, Stein’s one-bedroom, one-bathroom penthouse apartment at 965 Fifth Avenue, for $1.045 million in August 2008.
Yesterday, the 13th floor courtroom of Manhattan’s State Supreme Court was packed for the opening statements. The case has attracted wide attention due to Stein’s celebrity status — her clients included Sting, Elton John, Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley, and Angelina Jolie. She co-managed the band the Ramones prior to becoming a broker.
Christie admitted Lowery was guilty of stealing money from Stein, but said she was not someone able to carefully plan Stein’s murder and hide all the traces. She could not have prevented the blood, which splattered up to three feet high, to get on her clothes, Christie said. DNA evidence found on the scene did not link Lowery to the crime.
“Natavia is not a savvy criminal,” Christie said. “She is not capable of doing what happened to Linda Stein.” [more]

Linda Stein and her alleged killer, Natavia Lowery

The two daughters of murdered Prudential Douglas Elliman broker Linda Stein claim the brokerage was negligent in hiring the woman who was charged with Stein’s 2007 death.

Daughters Samantha Wells and Mandy Stein allege in a new wrongful death lawsuit, which does not specify the amount of money they are seeking, that the city’s largest residential brokerage hired Natavia Lowery, their mother’s personal and work assistant, despite several arrest warrants having been filed against her and should have hired someone from within the company, rather than through a job placement agency.

The brokerage “failed to perform their own background check on Natavia S. Lowery or use better judgment when hiring someone such as this for a professional such as Linda Stein who dealt with celebrity clients and multi-million dollar properties,” the suit says. [more]

Prudential Douglas Elliman broker-to-the-stars Linda Stein was killed in her Fifth Avenue apartment by her personal assistant after a confrontation over work demands, law enforcement sources said. On October 30th, the assistant, Natavia Lowery, tried to negotiate with Stein about reducing the amount of extra work the broker gave her, sources said. Stein said she would pay for Lowery’s lunch, but Lowery insisted she could pay for it herself. Stein then allegedly asked how Lowery, an African-American, could afford lunch when people of her race lack money, Lowery said, according to law enforcement sources. Lowery took the yoga stick and attacked Stein with it, police said. [more]