New York police say the estranged husband of missing Staten Island teacher Jeanine Cammarata and his girlfriend have been charged with her murder.
Police said the remains found at a storage facility in Staten Island were positively identified as Jeanine using dental records. Her estranged husband Michael, 42, and his girlfriend Ayisha, 41, have been charged with second degree murder, tampering with evidence and concealing a human corpse. Both are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Police allege that sometime between Saturday and Monday of last week, Michael and Ayisha killed Jeanine at a home in Rockaway Beach, Queens, and later moved her remains to a storage locker in Staten Island. Investigators said the locker had been lined with air fresheners.
Jeanine taught at PS 29 in Staten Island. She was last seen on Saturday, when she told her family she was going to pick up her two young children from their father. When her family did not hear from her and she did not show up for work on Monday, her boyfriend reported her missing.
Jeanine and Michael had been separated since May 2016 and were in the middle of a contentious divorce and custody dispute. Police said there was a history of domestic violence incidents between them, including stalking, harassment and assault charges after the separation. Friends and family said she lived in fear of her ex, but still tried to co parent peacefully for the sake of their kids. A few days before she disappeared, Michael had been served with divorce papers, and a family court hearing was set for the Monday after she went missing.
Our thoughts are with Jeanine’s family, friends and students.
