By Stephen Stirling
Daniel Tarloff, of 99-45 60th Ave., was arraigned on charges of murder and attempted murder Sunday by Judge Ruth Pickholz in Manhattan Criminal Court. Pickholz ordered a psychiatric evaluation after Tarloff, who has a history of mental instability, referred to his attorney, Legal Aid Lawyer Reginald Sharpe, as the Rev. Al Sharpton and accused Sharpe of not being licensed.Sharpe said Tarloff's outburst was clear evidence of his mental instability.”He is having trouble understanding where he is,” Sharpe said after the hearing. “In my opinion, he needs to be examined.”Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said forensic and video evidence, along with Tarloff's own self-incriminating statements, led police to believe he was responsible for the murder of 56-year-old therapist Dr. Kathryn Faughey and the serious injury of Dr. Kenneth Shinbach, her colleague with whom she shared offices.Police said Faughey died after Tarloff allegedly slashed her 15 times with a meat cleaver in her office at 435 E. 79th St. on Feb. 12. Shinbach, whom authorities said was probably the intended target, sustained deep gashes to his face and arms while allegedly trying to fend off Tarloff.Tarloff will be evaluated at Bellevue Hospital before his next court hearing, scheduled for Feb. 23 in Manhattan Criminal Court.Funeral services for Faughey were held in Manhattan Saturday. The therapist grew up in Sunnyside where she attended parochial school at St. Theresa's Church in Woodside and what is now St. John's Prep in Astoria before attending St. Peter's College in New Jersey. She practiced as a therapist in the Upper East Side, where she lived with her husband Walter Adam, for more than 20 years.Shinbach was released from the hospital Saturday.Police said three separate surveillance videos were recovered, showing a slightly balding man surveying the building prior to the attack, entering the lobby with two black bags and leaving through the basement of the building immediately following the attack.Police said they found two black bags in the basement of the Manhattan building filled with eight knives not used in the attack, rope and duct tape, as well as adult diapers and women's clothing, possibly for Tarloff's mother.Kelly said a 35-minute interrogation of Tarloff Saturday, before the Corona man asked for an attorney, indicated that robbery and revenge, but not murder, were likely reasons for his alleged attack.”[Tarloff] made statements implicating himself in the homicide and the assault,” Kelly said Saturday.Kelly added “he made statements to the effect that he intended to rob Dr. Shinbach and not harm Dr. Faughey.”During the interrogation, Tarloff also said Shinbach caused him to be placed in a mental institution in 1991 and that he “may have been institutionalized or incarcerated up to 20 times,” according to Kelly.Kelly said Tarloff, who allegedly stole $90 from Shinbach during the assault, indicated that he planned to use the money to leave the country with his mother.Kelly said the NYPD's forensic team was able to match a palm print left on one of the black bags with Tarloff's, which were on file from a previous arrest.Kelly said the investigation was still in its early stages.Neighbors and friends near Tarloff's 60th Avenue home said that although he seemed unstable, they were shocked to hear of his arrest. Katie Sullivan, Tarloff's neighbor, said he was usually friendly, but she often heard him yelling in his apartment.”He's the kind of guy you feel sorry for,” she said.Sullivan said she saw Tarloff on Friday morning, and while he would normally say hello, he stared right past her. Tarloff was detained by police just hours later.Reach reporter Stephen Stirling by e-mail at Sstirling@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 138.
