Federal prosecutors have charged a New York husband and wife in connection with the 2020 murder of a former Marine and subsequent coverup of their alleged crimes.
Jamie and Nicholas Orsini are facing charges of conspiracy and carjacking with intent to cause death and serious bodily harm, resulting in the death of Jamie Orsini's ex-husband, Steven Kraft — the father of her two daughters.
"A little over three years ago, Nicholas and Jamie Orsini allegedly plotted to and did kill Jamie’s ex-husband, Steven Kraft. Their alleged scheme was sophisticated — it involved burner phones, stealing and dumping Kraft’s car, and, ultimately, disposing of Kraft’s body," U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement June 15.
He added that the "Orsinis denied Kraft’s family — including Kraft’s children with Jamie — the dignity of having a proper burial."
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Kraft's father told the Poughkeepsie Journal that he was "just flabbergasted" to hear about the alleged plot against his son, who was a U.S. Marine veteran from Ulster County.
"I couldn't believe two people could have that much hate for another person. It's like two or three horrors movies combined into one," Dean Kraft told the newspaper.
On April 26, 2020, the Orsinis allegedly began to plan their murder scheme when they drove to a Home Depot in Fishkill, New York, and paid cash for a 10-foot by 100-foot paint tarp, duct tape and a Tyvek suit and boots, prosecutors said in a federal complaint.
The couple also allegedly did a "dry run" for how they would get rid of Kraft's vehicle and purchased a burner phone at Walmart to carry out his murder.
On April 28, 2020, a Tuesday, Kraft picked up his two daughters from the Orsinis' home in Beacon, New York, then they went to Sonic in Newburgh. The Orsinis allegedly followed him to the restaurant, at which point they activated their burner phone before returning home. Kraft drove back to the Orsinis' home in Beacon around 7 p.m. to drop off his daughters as part of his custody agreement with Jamie.
Around 6 p.m. that day, Kraft's coworker texted him asking when he was coming into work. Around 8 p.m., the Orsinis allegedly posed as Kraft and texted his coworker, "Yo my wife is broken down near Harrimen triple a covering the toe o can’t get there now. I’ll be there tomorrow."
At 8:15 p.m., the couple allegedly sent a different response to his coworker, saying, "I’m putting the baby to sleep. I’ll answer if I can or call you back." Just before 8 p.m., one of Jamie Orsini's daughters texted her, "Where are u?" to which Jamie Orsini did not respond.
Both the Orsinis' phones and Kraft's phones pinged in the same area of 10 West Church St. around that time, according to New York State Police investigators.
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It is unclear exactly when or how Kraft died that evening; he was considered missing for three years before authorities announced charges against the Orsinis.
Later that night, Nicholas Orsini allegedly drove Kraft's Toyota Camry to Newburgh and abandoned it at Third Street and Carpenter Avenue. He then allegedly walked over a mile to a Sunoco gas station, where he got rid of one of Kraft's phones and used his burner phone to call a taxi for a ride home.
Surveillance footage from the gas station appears to show Nicholas Orsini wearing a "a particular Jets sweatshirt/hoodie with the hood up, a patterned, blue bandana around his face, blue latex gloves, and a Levi’s stadium baseball cap."
Investigators found photos of Orsini wearing the same hoodie on Jamie Orsini's social media account.
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At 9:47 p.m. on Aug 28, 2020, both the Orsinis' phones show that Jamie texted Nicholas, "He’s asleep … so come in the room so we can f---."
"In the days after the murder, the [Orsinis] continued the coverup, traveling extensively between Beacon and upstate New York, ultimately disposing of Kraft’s body—which still has not been found—by burning it," a New York State Police investigator wrote.
After Kraft's murder, Jamie Orsini apparently sent texts to Kraft to make it appear as though she did not know he was dead, including a text about their children's report cards, which investigators highlighted because she and Kraft "rarely" discussed their kids' academics.
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On May 2, Nicholas Orsini apparently returned to Home Depot and purchased "two 31-gallon galvanized steel round trash cans, a coarse stainless-steel rod, an angle grinder with grinding wheel, 13 five metal disks, three 32-ounce bottles of odorless charcoal lighter fluid, two charcoal grates, an axe, and a flame lighter." The next day, he purchased 16 bundles of firewood, investigators said.
In August, detectives found "a patterned, blue bandana, latex gloves, and a Levi’s stadium baseball cap identical to the ones worn at the Sunoco gas station" at the Orsinis' new home in Amsterdam, New York.
Additionally, the Orsinis' Google searches between April 20, 2020 and May 2020 include, "How to view your location history in google maps," "Orange County News," "Montgomery County News," and "is galvanized steel fireproof," according to the complaint.
"I commend our State Police members and our partners with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their tireless efforts to find justice for the grieving loved ones of Mr. Kraft," NYSP Acting Superintendent Steven A. Nigrelli said in a June 15 statement regarding the Orsinis' arrests. "These two murderous individuals allegedly deliberately took the life of another person and will now be held accountable for their actions."
