On December 11, 1995, the body of a woman was discovered by a worker in a dumpster behind a sheet metal contracting company in Melville, New York. The victim was later identified as 28-year-old Kelly Sue Bunting of Hollis, Queens. An investigation revealed that Bunting, who was known to use the name Melani Vilavencencio, had been beaten to death with a dumbbell. In an attempt to hinder identification, her hands had been removed.
However, a distinctive tattoo on her chest that read 'Melani' was instrumental in the police identifying her after they published a photo of it in a local newspaper.
The investigation into Bunting's death led police to Robert Shulman, a postal worker from Hicksville. An anonymous tip indicated that the victim was a sex worker who was last seen getting into a blue Cadillac with a white male in Queens. Other sex workers in the area recognized the vehicle and were able to help detectives locate Shulman's residence. Further investigation uncovered a 'strong associative connection' between trace evidence found with Bunting's body and evidence collected from the security booth where Shulman worked. This included light blue and orange carpet fibers, cat hairs, foam padding, and jute carpet backing. The sleeping bag her body was wrapped in was also a brand sold exclusively by Sears, a detail that helped investigators focus on Shulman's brother, the registered owner of the Cadillac.
Robert Shulman was arrested on April 6, 1996. During questioning, he confessed to killing Bunting and four other women. He stated that he had picked Bunting up on December 8, 1995, and they had gone to his apartment and smoked crack together. He claimed he became enraged, believing she had stolen cocaine from him, and 'lost control,' beating her to death. Shulman admitted to dismembering his victims to prevent their identification.
Robert Shulman was convicted of the murders of Kelly Sue Bunting, Lisa Ann Warner, and an unidentified woman in March 1999 by a Suffolk County jury. He was subsequently sentenced to death for one of the murders and received life imprisonment for the others. The following year, he was also convicted in Westchester County for two other murders. After New York's death penalty was overturned, Shulman's death sentence was commuted to life in prison without the possibility of parole in 2005. He died in prison in 2006.
