A man who made headlines 20 years ago for brutally killing his roommate was found dead in what authorities believe to be a suicide earlier this week in his Brooklyn apartment.
Howard Goldstein, 67, was found unresponsive on January 27 during a wellness check conducted by the Chaveirim, an Orthodox Jewish volunteer organization. The check was requested by his employer, and when Goldstein was found unresponsive, Chaveirim contacted Hatzalah, a Jewish emergency response group, who then called the NYPD. Emergency responders declared Goldstein dead at the scene. The Medical Examiner’s Office has ruled his death a suicide.
Goldstein had a troubled past, which became widely known after he was arrested in 2004 for the brutal murder of his elderly roommate, Rahamin “Raymond” Sultan, over a rent dispute. At the time of his arrest, Goldstein greeted police officers while wearing high heels, makeup, and lipstick. They had come to investigate the disappearance of Sultan, who was later found dead in a pool of blood in the living room of their apartment. The gruesome discovery shocked the community.
Inside Goldstein’s bedroom, authorities found a mix of religious materials, including images of Rabbi Menachem Schneerson, the leader of the Lubavitch movement, as well as horror movies, pictures of the Vietnam War, and various other oddities. He was known to present himself in public as an Orthodox Jew but was also seen with painted eyebrows on occasion. His strange behavior and the unsettling conditions in his apartment led to his reputation as a disturbed individual.
Now, years later, Goldstein’s death by suicide has once again brought attention to his troubled past. His life was marked by controversy and crime, and the details surrounding his final moments have left many reflecting on the dark story that unfolded two decades ago.
