By JOSEPH KELLARD
But during preliminary hearings for his trial on Jan. 5, Ali Ceber, 43, of Deer Park, pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder of Violet Karagiannis.
"He just came into the court and pleaded guilty to murder in the second degree," said Eric Phillips, a spokesman for the Nassau County district attorney's office.
Ceber's lawyer, Brian Carmody of Westbury, told the Herald, "He's sorry for what he did, and he didn't want to cause any more heartache to the victim's family by having it re-enacted at a trial."
Phillips, however, described the evidence against Ceber as "overwhelming" ‹ the most damning being the undocumented Turkish immigrant's written and videotaped confession and bloody clothes that he gave to police.
There was much blood because Ceber allegedly stabbed Karagiannis, 54, more than 20 times in the chest, stomach and back in her bed in her Lorraine Avenue home the night of May 29. He fled the home and later approached two Suffolk County police officers parked in a patrol car at a 7-Eleven in Deer Park.
"He told them that he'd had a fight with his girlfriend, and that he was afraid he hurt her," said Homicide Squad Commander Detective Lt. Dennis Farrell. "He went on to say, 'I think I may have killed her.' It's something that he said without any solicitation on the part of the police officers."
Ceber was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and first-degree burglary, but pleaded not guilty to the charges in First District Court in Hempstead on May 30.
If Ceber's case had gone to trial and he were convicted, he would have faced 40 years to life in prison. Instead, with his guilty plea, he faces 25 years to life. His sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 13.
"We were committed to holding this defendant accountable for his incredibly violent actions," District Attorney Kathleen Rice said. "Hopefully he will be behind bars for the rest of his life and will never again have the opportunity to hurt anyone."
Ceber and Karagiannis had dated for about two years when she ended the relationship a few months before her murder. After their breakup, Ceber continued to pursue Karagiannis, following her and calling her at least once a day, "but usually it was many more times than that," said Farrell. "But he was not accepting that [she wanted nothing to do with him]."
Karagiannis never called police or sought an order of protection against Ceber. The night of her murder, the two ran into each other at Coyote Grill, an Island Park restaurant and bar they sometimes went to together. Karagiannis, who was with friends, told Ceber "in no uncertain terms to leave her alone," Farrell said.
When Karagiannis and her friends left the restaurant and stopped briefly at a local Taco Bell, Ceber drove to her home, where she lived with her adult daughter Jennifer, and entered using the key she had given him when they were dating. He cut her phone lines, hid in her bedroom closet and, when she arrived, immediately attacked her, using two of her own carving knives in the stabbing, according to prosecutors.
Later that night, Jennifer came home and went to sleep, unaware that her mother lay dead in her bedroom. Police awoke her after Ceber told them about the incident, found the victim fully clothed in her bed and pronounced her dead at the scene.
Larella Reiter, who lives two doors down from Karagiannis, described her as "a very nice person" who "just worked, worked, worked." Karagiannis was a real estate agent for Sea Coast Realty in Island Park for eight years.
Another neighbor, Doris Andriano, described Karagiannis as ³a sweetheart² who ³kept very much to herself.²
Comments about this story? JKellard@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 287.
