RIDGEWOOD MAN INDICTED IN TWO SEPARATE FIRST DEGREE MURDER CASES

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced today the indictment of a 34 year old Ridgewood, Queens man in two separate first degree murder cases involving crimes that took place in May and July, 1998. It is believed to be the first time that a defendant has been charged in two separate, potential capital murder cases in New York State since the passage of the 1995 death penalty statute.

District Attorney Brown identified the defendant as Steven Smelefsky of 1722 Gates Avenue, Ridgewood. He is charged with murdering George Capobianco, 44, of 62-09 84th Street, Rego Park during the night of July 31 - August 1, 1998. Keith Knoesel, 29, of 76-66 Austin Street, Forest Hills has also been indicted in connection with the murder. The defendant Smelefsky is charged with Murder in the First Degree and the defendant Knoesel is charged with Murder in the Second Degree. They are both also accused of robbery, burglary and other charges in connection with the crime which took place inside Mr. Capobianco's residence.

According to the indictment, the two defendants went to the home of Mr. Capobianco, who was a friend of one of the defendants, in order to rob him. Once inside the deceased's apartment, after talking to him for a while, defendant Knoesel hit him over the head with a bottle and the defendant Smelefsky began stabbing him. After the murder, the defendants fled but, according to the charges, they returned to the victim's apartment over the next few days to steal other property. They were arrested on August 11, 1998 driving the deceased's 1991 Lincoln.

In addition, detectives of the 104th Precinct developed evidence linking the defendant Smelefsky to the murder of another Queens resident, 92 year old Louis Thumudo, whose body was found by local police in Stroud Township Pennsylvania in May. The defendant Smelefsky and Rubin Ortega, 44, of 117 Willoughby Street, Brooklyn were indicted for Mr. Thumudo's murder which occurred on May 12, 1998. According to those charges, the two defendants approached Mr. Thumudo, who lived in the same building as the defendant Smelefsky, in the garage of 1724 Gates Avenue where Mr. Thumudo parked his car. As the deceased entered the garage, the defendants allegedly grabbed him and robbed him and then bound his mouth, feet and ankles, covered him with a tarpaulin and threw him into the trunk of his 1994 Ford Escort. They then allegedly drove to Stroud Township in Pennsylvania where they dumped his body off the side of a road. Mr. Thumudo's body was found on May 18, 1998.

District Attorney Brown said, "Both of these crimes were planned and executed in the most vicious manner. In the case of the murder of Mr. Thumudo, it is alleged that the defendants observed him entering the garage and pounced on the frail 92 year old. After abducting him, they are alleged to have left him without food or water on the side of a country road where he eventually succumbed to dehydration and arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease."

The defendant Smelefsky is charged with Murder in the First Degree in connection with Mr. Thumudo's death. The defendant Ortega is charged with Murder in the Second Degree. Both defendants also face kidnapping, robbery and possession of stolen property charges.

The defendants will be arraigned on the indictment on November 5, 1998 before Queens Supreme Court Justice Robert J. Hanophy. Under the 1995 death penalty statute the District Attorney must decide whether or not to seek the death penalty within 120 days of the defendant Smelefsky's arraignment. The defendants Knoesel and Ortega face 25 years to life in prison if convicted of murder in the second degree.

Assistant District Attorneys Robert J. Schwerdt, Deputy Bureau Chief of the District Attorney's Homicide Investigations Bureau and Kevin J. Power of the same bureau which is under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Peter T. Reese and the overall supervision of EADA Gregory L. Lasak presented the case to the Grand Jury.

It should be noted that an indictment is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until found guilty.