From Missing To Murdered: Uncovering What Happened To Jeanine Cammarata
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Jeanine Cammarata was last seen by her friends on March 30. Five days later, her "charred and unrecognizable" body was discovered at a storage facility on Staten Island.
Now her estranged husband and his 6-months pregnant girlfriend face murder charges over her death.
Authorities say Cammarata, a 37-year-old mother of three and public school teacher, was last seen by her boyfriend after dropping him off at his apartment Saturday night on McVeigh Avenue in Heartland Village.
Days earlier she had served divorce papers on her estranged husband, Michael Cammarata.
READ: Criminal Complaints Against Michael Cammarata And Ayisha Egea
After the weekend, she did not show up at either of her jobs, working full-time at P.S. 29 on Victory Boulevard and part-time at a Dollar Tree store. Her car - a 2017 white Chevy Cruze, license plate No. HSK8417 - was also missing.
Cammarata's friend Jessica Pobega began getting reassuring text messages from Cammarata's phone on Monday, but she did not believe it was Cammarata was making those replies.
"Where ru... You need to contact someone now Bc we're going to the police station," wrote Pobega at 4:20 p.m.
"I'm ok. Everything is fine," came the reply at 5:23 p.m.
By Tuesday, Cammarata's circle of neighbors and friends knew something had gone wrong. Her boyfriend reported her missing to police. The NYPD began putting out her photo and images across social media.
On Wednesday, police brought Michael Cammarata in for questioning and charged him with assault after he admitted hitting her. At that point, he had not been charged in her disappearance.
Then came the discovery Thursday which confirmed the worst fears: A Crimestoppers tip directed the NYPD to a body they described as "charred and unrecognizable" found at the Extra Space Storage facility on Arden Avenue near Arthur Kill Road, a storage facility on Staten Island.
Sources said the NYPD had video that allegedly shows Michael Cammarata and another person carrying something heavy in a bag from a Queens address.
Another video of the estranged husband shows him carrying that same bag at the storage facility, sources told CBS2.
On Friday, the remains were confirmed to be those of Jeanine Cammarata.
Michael Cammarata, 42, and his girlfriend Ayisha Egea, 41, both face murder charges in the case. They are also charged with concealment of a human corpse and tampering with physical evidence.
Police believe Jeanine was killed at Agea's Queens apartment then transported by van to the Staten Island storage facility, where they lined the unit with air fresheners to mask the smell.
The Cammarata's children are in the care of the Administration for Children's Services.
Friends are soliciting for help with funeral expenses via a GoFundMe page.
Domestic Abuse Resources: Where To Get Help
National Domestic Violence Hotline
P.O. Box 161810
Austin TX, 78716
Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY). Advocates who are deaf are available Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (PST) by videophone (855-812-1001), instant messenger (DeafHotline) or email (deafhelp@thehotline.org).
New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence
119 Washington Avenue, 3rd Floor
Albany, NY 12210
Hotline NYS: 1 (800) 942-6906
Hotline NYC: 1 (800) 621-4673
Office: (518) 482-5465 Fax: (518) 482-3807
Website: www.nyscadv.org
New Jersey Coalition for Battered Women
1670 Whitehorse Hamilton Square
Trenton, NJ 08690
Hotline: 1 (800) 572-7233 TTY: (800) 787-3224
Office: (609) 584-8107 Fax: (609) 584-9750
Website: www.njcbw.org
Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence
912 Silas Deane Highway, Lower Level
Wethersfield, CT 06109
Hotline: (888) 774-2900
Office: (860) 282-7899 Fax: (860) 282-7892
Website: www.ctcadv.org
