Feb 15, 2008 2:16 pm US/Eastern
Man Questioned, Released In Cleaver Murder Probe
Pennsylvania Man Attended Guitar Camp With Victim
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
A man who was questioned by police in connection to the hacking murder of an Upper East Side psychologist has been released.
New York City detectives questioned 43-year-old William Kunsman after bringing him into custody early Thursday morning without incident from his Coplay, Pa. home.
He was released shortly before 3 p.m. and never placed under arrest.
Kunsman, who appeared tired and teary-eyed after his release, told CBS 2 HD that he did not kill 56-year-old psychologist Kathryn Faughey. He befriended her at a guitar camp six years ago and was linked to her by police through recent e-mail conversations.
"I was brought into the station for questioning. I don't want to talk about the ongoing investigation. ... Kathryn was just a wonderful lady and a fine, fine person," he said. "We just seemed to connect on a very deep, spiritual level.
"Finding out someone you're very close to has been killed is tough."
Kunsman said he was not questioned as a suspect and did not know of the grisly murder until police told him.
"They said they'd contact me if they needed me for anything, but I think my involvement in this is pretty over," he said. "I had no involvement in the murder of Kathryn Faughey."
Faughey, was found dead Tuesday inside an office building on E. 79th Street and York Avenue shortly after 9 p.m. A second psychologist who was hurt in the attack positively identified Kunsman as the killer after seeing a photograph of him, but a second witness did not, sources said.
CBS 2 HD spoke exclusively with Kunsman's wife earlier in the afternoon, who said her husband had been in contact with Faughey recently. Her name is currently being withheld.
"I know they met at the Martin Guitar forum. He has spoken to her on the phone a few times, actually I think a few days ago, but other than just being friends and talking on the phone that's about it," she said.
"He's actually a good man, right now is just a bad time for us. He lost a job recently and we've just been going through a lot of, one thing after the other. It seems like everything that could go wrong is going wrong right now."
On Wednesday, the NYPD released a sketch of a suspect, described as a 5-foot-9 white male, believed to be in his 40s, with blondish brown hair. He was seen wearing a three-quarter green coat, a baseball cap and sneakers.
Authorities initially believed the suspect to be a patient of the murdered doctor, but police have reason to suspect no such relationship existed. Most of Faughey's patients were women, including several victims of domestic abuse.
Police say that around 8 p.m. Tuesday night, the assailant told the doorman he wanted to see psychiatrist Dr. Kent Shinbach, and received permission to enter the premises. He then proceeded to the waiting room where it is believed he sat and waited for up to an hour.
A few minutes before 9 p.m., according to police, Shinbach heard a commotion. He followed the uproar into Faughey's office where he found the suspect attacking Faughey.
Shinbach then attempted to assist Faughey during the attack, in which he suffered serious cuts to his face. He was taken to New York-Presbyterian Hospital Weill/Cornell, and remains there in serious, but stable condition.
Police believe Faughey was stabbed and/or slashed at least 15 times.
"She's on the floor. She's bleeding, she's cut. He himself is immediately attacked by the individual. He is then stabbed and hacked at," said NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly.
According to the police report, the assailant used a chair to pin Shinbach to the wall and then stole $90 from his wallet and headed down to the basement by a side stairwell carrying a bag and a suitcase, which police say were filled with up to eight additional knives, rope, duct tape and oddly enough, adult diapers.
Police say the psychologist's first-floor office near the lobby was blood-spattered and torn apart in an attack that one detective called "clearly personal and full of anger."
Residents who live near the crime scene were shocked by the news.
"It was really, really scary," Laura Lipitino said. "You know I live by myself, quite frightening."
"My children called from different parts of the world to say mom I'm afraid for you," Nicki Kramer Nathan said.
Faughey, a licensed psychologist, practiced cognitive behavioral therapy for 20 years on the Upper East Side, focusing on relationship issues and stress. She was educated in Ireland and Yeshiva University and lived with her husband in an apartment building across the street from her practice.
CBS 2 HD's Lou Young, Ti-Hua Chang, John Slattery, Magee Hickey and Mary Calvi contributed to this report.
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