Homicide New York: Who was the East Harlem serial killer?

One of the most heartwrenching murder cases in Homicide: New York is the killing spree by the East Harlem serial killer that went years without arrest – but who was the killer?

Netflix’s true crime docuseries Homicide: New York investigates one of the worst serial killers Harlem has ever seen. The fifth episode tackles a series of sexual assaults and brutal murders of young women that took place in the 90s.

A Hispanic neighborhood had a vile evil among them as young women showed up stabbed, strangled, and killed. Dick Wolf uses first-hand accounts from detectives involved in the case and the victims’ families to dive into the murders of Rasheeda Washington, Paola Illera, and Johalis Castro, as well as three additional sexual assaults.

As the investigation turns horrid, the detectives uncover a suspect who had gotten away with the crimes for years, so who was the killer?

Who was the East Harlem serial killer?

Arohn Kee, also known as the East Harlem rapist, was found guilty of three murders and sexual assaults. He was arrested in 1999 in Miami after fleeing New York and kidnapping his then-young girlfriend. Arohn Kee is currently spending 409 years in a state prison.

The murders and assaults took place between 1991 and 1998 throughout different areas of East Harlem. Police began to investigate the case of the murder of Rasheeda Washington but had no leads as to who had killed her. Months later, a 15-year-old girl was sexually assaulted by a man in the Paladino area.

Despite having left behind a sweatshirt and hat, no DNA was found. The medical examiner soon cracked the case when DNA evidence in the Rasheeda case came back a match the DNA from the Paladino assault. Sadly, the police couldn’t identify the perpetrator, and another assault occurred on a 13-year-old girl. The evidence also matched the other two cases.

Netflix

Police developed a sketch to find the killer and got an anonymous tip in 1999 that a man named Ace was responsible. The detective at the time remembers that in 1997, a burnt female victim was found on a rooftop in Harlem. He investigated Arohn Kee, nicknamed Ace. His phone number had been in the victim’s call log.

At the time, he gave a good story and showed no signs of involvement. The detective took a photo of Kee for his records. Back in 1999, the detective remembers Kee, finds the photo, and realizes he’s wearing the same sweatshirt found at one of the assaults.

A further investigation leads detectives to believe Kee murdered and assaulted a young girl named Paola Illera in 1991. At the time, they interrogated a neighbor named Arohn Warford. The last person to see her alive. In 1999, detectives soon realized Arohn Kee had the same address as Warford and was his father’s last name.

Police had enough circumstances to arrest Kee for the murders, but he had fled to Miami, taking his then 16-year-old girlfriend. The police discovered their location and had him extradited from Florida. During the interrogation, Khee revealed everything to his girlfriend, and DNA evidence matched. He was charged with three murders and assaults.

Homicide: New York is available to stream on Netflix, with plenty more true crime documentaries coming to streaming platforms.