Haley Anderson
Born(1995-05-09)May 9, 1995
Westbury, Long Island, New York, U.S.
DiedMarch 8, 2018(2018-03-08) (aged 22)
Binghamton, New York, U.S.
Cause of deathStrangulation
Resting placeWestbury, New York, U.S.
Alma materSUNY Binghamton

Haley Anderson was an American nursing student at Binghamton University. She was murdered on March 8, 2018, by fellow student Orlando Tercero in his apartment off-campus. Tercero fled to Nicaragua after strangling Anderson, was captured by Nicaraguan police, and was ultimately convicted of femicide.[1] This was the first of two unrelated student murders that took place during Binghamton University's 2018 spring semester; the second was the on-campus murder of Joao Souza.[2]

Background

Haley Anderson

Haley Anderson was from Westbury, New York,[3] the daughter of Karen and Gordon Anderson and older sister to Madeline Anderson.[4] In March 2018, she was twenty-two and a fifth-year senior. While attending Binghamton University, she worked at Jazzman's, an on-campus coffee shop, for over three years. She planned to graduate in May 2018 and had a job lined up at a Long Island emergency room. Friends described Anderson as hard working, friendly and compassionate with a love of music.[3]

Orlando Tercero

Orlando Tercero
Born (1995-11-02) November 2, 1995
Miami, Florida, U.S.
Citizenship
  • Nicaragua
  • United States
Alma materSUNY Binghamton
Criminal statusIncarcerated
Conviction(s)Femicide
Criminal penalty30 years imprisonment
Details
VictimsHaley Anderson, 22
DateMarch 8, 2018
CountryUnited States
State(s)New York
Date apprehended
March 13, 2018 (2018-03-13)
Imprisoned atDirectorate of Judicial Assistance

In March 2018, Orlando Tercero was a twenty-two year old nursing student at Binghamton University. He holds dual Nicaraguan and American citizenship,[5] and his full name is Orlando Enrique Tercero Moreno.[6]

Prior relationship and tire slashing incident

Tercero was suspected of slashing Anderson's car's tires on September 16, 2017, causing about $600 in damage. The police report included some details about Tercero and Anderson's relationship: they had previously dated for a short period of time. Additionally, on September 15, 2017, Anderson attended a party at Tercero's residence where he confronted her about her new relationship with a mutual friend. According to the police report, the party confrontation went as follows: Tercero shouted at Anderson, then offered her alcohol in an attempt to smooth things over. Anderson declined to press charges over the tire slashing incident.[7]

Tercero and Anderson may have had an off-and-on relationship for up to a year and a half. She reportedly wanted to end romantic involvement with him.[8] According to Anderson's friend, she wanted to stay friends with Tercero.[9]

Murder and aftermath

Murder and immediate aftermath

Tercero murdered Anderson by manual strangulation on March 8, 2018, at his Oak Street apartment on the West Side of Binghamton, a city in Broome County, New York.[4] She was asphyxiated from manual neck compression, and ligature strangulation due to the necklace she was wearing. His motive for the murder was likely jealousy, as Anderson had moved on from dating him.[10]

Anderson visited Tercero's apartment after a night out with friends. She had been drinking, and was likely sleeping when Tercero attacked her.[11] Surveillance footage showed Anderson and Tercero entering his apartment early in the morning of March 8, and Tercero leaving alone hours later.[9] He drove to John F. Kennedy International Airport and boarded a flight to Nicaragua.[11] Tercero may have attempted to kill himself by hanging after killing Anderson but before leaving his apartment. Police found a note apologizing to his family at the scene. Tercero's sister called 9-1-1 after receiving a concerning text from him on the morning of March 9. Police performed a welfare check at Tercero's residence, but did not make contact with him and left.[10] When Anderson did not return home, her roommates became concerned. On March 9 they tracked her phone to Tercero's apartment, broke in through a window, and found her body in Tercero's bed, with severe bruising on her neck and arms.[9] They called 9-1-1, which brought the police to the apartment for a second time that day.[10][12]

Anderson's body was found by police on Friday, March 9 at 12:53 PM after they conducted a welfare check at Tercero's apartment.[13] Her death was declared a homicide on Saturday, March 10 after an autopsy was conducted at Lourdes Hospital in Binghamton.[13] Police released a statement that day: "The victim and male student had a previous domestic/romantic relationship. The investigation determined that the person of interest had left the United States by an international air travel flight, prior to the discovery of Haley Anderson’s deceased body.”[13]

On Sunday, March 11, Tercero was officially named as a suspect by the Binghamton Police Department, which also stated that Tercero fled to Nicaragua.[14] The Broome County District Attorney, Steve Cornwell, "said his office will be seeking an indictment from a grand jury in the case, and after one is granted, will file a warrant for Tercero’s arrest. According to Cornwell, the warrant will be presented to the U.S. Department of State, and his office will call on the Nicaraguan government to extradite Tercero."[14]

Monday classes were cancelled for senior nursing students in the wake of Anderson's death. Also on Monday, March 12, University President Harvey Stenger and Decker School of Nursing Dean Mario Ortiz released statements mourning Anderson's death and extending condolences to her friends and family.[14]

Tercero was apprehended by the Nicaraguan National Police on Tuesday, March 13 at the Hospital de Leon.[6] He had entered the country on Friday, March 9 at 3:55 pm.[6] Tercero attempted suicide after killing Anderson and was placed in a psychiatric hospital upon arrival in Nicaragua.[15] After Tercero was arrested at the hospital, he was taken to the Directorate of Judicial Assistance, also known as El Chipote, in Managua.[6]

In Broome County on March 17, Tercero was charged with second-degree murder, which meant he could face up to life in prison if convicted. The Broome County District Attorney also officially released a warrant for Tercero's arrest. Additionally, District Attorney Cornwell publicly released the information that Anderson's roommates initially found her unresponsive in Tercero's Oak Street apartment. They were concerned about Anderson and searched for her; once they found her they called 9-1-1 which triggered the police's welfare check and investigation.[12]

Trial, conviction, and extradition attempts

In Nicaragua, Tercero was charged with femicide, making his first court appearance in September 2019.[5] Tercero was convicted of femicide and faced 25 to 30 years in a Nicaraguan prison.[4] He was eventually sentenced to 30 years, and his appeal to reduce his sentence was rejected in March 2020.[16][17] He still faces a second-degree murder charge in Broome County, New York, but there are complications with the legalities of extradition.[8]

References

  1. ↑ Rybak, Judy; Slifer, Stephanie (January 30, 2021). "Murder of N.Y. nursing student Haley Anderson leads to an international manhunt for her killer". CBS News. Archived from the original on May 12, 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  2. ↑ Rojas, Rick (April 22, 2018). "2 Student Murders Have Binghamton University on Edge". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  3. 1 2 Hupka, Sasha (March 11, 2018). "Haley Anderson, 22, remembered as good student, hard worker". Pipe Dream. Archived from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 Olson, David (November 2, 2019). "Parents of slain college student from Westbury find relief in conviction". Newsday. Archived from the original on April 30, 2022. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  5. 1 2 Hupka, Sasha (September 12, 2019). "Orlando Tercero charged with femicide in Nicaragua for murder of Haley Anderson". Pipe Dream. Archived from the original on December 7, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Hupka, Sasha (March 13, 2018). "Update: Suspect in Haley Anderson homicide apprehended, Nicaraguan National Police say". Pipe Dream. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  7. ↑ Hupka, Sasha (March 16, 2018). "Tercero suspected of slashing Anderson's tires last year, police report says". Pipe Dream. Archived from the original on June 9, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  8. 1 2 Haddad, Tareq (November 2, 2019). "New York student who sparked international manhunt after strangling girlfriend found guilty of murder". Newsweek. Archived from the original on February 18, 2022. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  9. 1 2 3 Hupka, Sasha (October 1, 2019). "Haley Anderson Murder Trial Begins in Nicaragua". Pipe Dream. Archived from the original on August 14, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  10. 1 2 3 Borrelli, Anthony. "Orlando's Tercero's murder trial is in Nicaragua, but Binghamton provides grisly details". Pressconnects. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  11. 1 2 Borrelli, Anthony. "Haley Anderson's killer gets 30 years in Nicaraguan prison: 'Justice has been served'". Pressconnects. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  12. 1 2 Hupka, Sasha (March 17, 2018). "Suspect in Haley Anderson homicide charged with second-degree murder". Pipe Dream. Archived from the original on June 9, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  13. 1 2 3 Hupka, Sasha (March 10, 2018). "Update: Orlando Tercero, suspect in Haley Anderson's death, fled to Nicaragua, police say". Pipe Dream. Archived from the original on June 17, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  14. 1 2 3 Hupka, Sasha (March 12, 2018). "Orlando Tercero named as suspect in Haley Anderson homicide". Pipe Dream. Archived from the original on January 31, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  15. ↑ Gilroy, Maggie. "Orlando Tercero found guilty in murder of Binghamton University student Haley Anderson". Pressconnects. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  16. ↑ Gonzalez, Kimberly (March 12, 2020). "Orlando Tercero appeals sentencing for murder of Haley Anderson". Pipe Dream. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  17. ↑ "Judge Denies Orlando Tercero's Appeal in BU Student's Murder Case". spectrumlocalnews.com. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
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