STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Murder defendant Damien Hurstel — who stands charged in the decapitation of his mother’s longtime boyfriend inside their West Brighton home — appeared more coherent during a scheduled court appearance Thursday.
Hurstel, 19, is facing several charges including murder and concealing a corpse in connection with the Oct. 6 slaying. The victim, 45-year-old Anthony Casalaspro, was a Department of Sanitation mechanic who family and friends described as easygoing and a good person.
For approximately the past two months, Hurstel has been held in the mental observation unit on Rikers Island. “He is receiving medication for schizophrenia and other related mental health illnesses as well as psychiatric therapy,” defense attorney Mark Fonte said Thursday…