One of the most cruel cases to be prosecuted in Westchester County this year just got even worse following the discovery of new details behind the alleged murder of a Black woman.
On September 15, 2023, New Rochelle police officers responded to a tip they received from a city resident who alleged they discovered a dead body, according to a press release from the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office. The police were led to the remains of 27-year-old Concetta Morton, which were found inside a storage bin inside a Franklin Avenue apartment.
Police said her intimate partner, 41-year-old Kenya Tilford, was seen on Home Depot surveillance video purchasing a hooded coverall, bleach, tarps, paper towels, rubber gloves, a chainsaw and the storage bin where Morton’s body was ultimately found. Morton’s body was still intact when recovered.
Tilford has been in custody without bail since the incident. She initially told authorities she was in Virginia at the time of the crime, per CBS News. She then added that she was using drugs and suffered from mental illness. However, an exhaustive investigation into Morton’s death revealed even more grueling details behind what led up to the fatal tragedy.
Prosecutors claim Tilford inflicted torture on Morton for three months leading up to her death. The official cause of death was ruled as asphyxiation.
“She pretends to have this good image, but she has a black soul. She should never be let out of prison for the rest of her life,” said Gyllian Dunkley, a friend of Morton’s, via CBS.
Tilford faces a whopping 18-count indictment in Morton’s death, including counts of murder, strangulation and concealment of a human corpse. The case is the first time that the county has issued charges of torture murder. She is also accused of intimidating, threatening, sexually assaulting and torturing two prior intimate partners.
“In a first for this Office, we are charging the defendant for not only murder, but also for allegedly acting in an especially cruel manner and inflicting torture upon Ms. Morton before her death,” said Westchester County District Attorney Miriam E. Rocah in a statement. “We commend the New Rochelle police for their role in this exhaustive investigation. My Office will seek justice for all of the victims.”