A man was extradited to NYC, arrested, and charged for the murder of his tinder date, Samantha Stewart, in July 2018.
Danueal Drayton, 31, is being charged for murdering 29-year-old Stewart, who was a nurse, at her Springfield Gardens home after their tinder date.
After being extradited from Los Angeles, Drayton was arraigned on Friday in Queens Supreme Court. He faced numerous charges, including “murder in the second degree, grand larceny in the fourth degree, petit larceny, sexual misconduct, identity theft in the second and third degree, unlawful possession of personal identification information in the third degree, and criminal possession of the stolen property in the fourth degree.”
He faces up to 25 years to life in prison for Stewart’s killing.
The press release details the tragic incident: “Samantha Stewart met the defendant on the dating app Tinder.
The two had a date, and on July 16, 2018, the pair went to her 145th Road home in Springfield Gardens, Queens. Sometime that day, the defendant allegedly beat and strangled the 29-year-old nurse and then engaged in sexual conduct with the dead body.”
He then took Stewarts’ credit cards and fled to California.
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“This family deserves justice,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said after the arraignment. “This was a brutal crime that makes every person using a dating app fearful. The victim was duped into going out on a date with the defendant, who played a charmer online but was, in fact, an alleged sexual predator. The defendant is accused of brutally beating and then killing this innocent woman in her own home. After this heinous act of violence, the defendant fled the state to escape prosecution. Now back in our custody, this defendant will be held to account for his alleged actions.”
When we captured Danuel Drayton in LA for the murder of Queens nurse Samantha Stewart, he had another victim held captive. He’s off the streets but may have victimized others via online dating sites. Need help or have info? Call 800-577-TIPS/ sex crimes hotline 212-267-RAPE pic.twitter.com/iif7E9KuyA
— Chief Kenneth Corey (@NYPDChiefOfDept) July 26, 2018
He is due in court to face these charges on May 23.
