Attorneys are working on a possible plea deal for a Flushing man who allegedly kidnapped and murdered his ex-girlfriend back in February.
The Greenwich Time first reported that Javier Da Silva, who allegedly kidnapped White Plains resident Valerie Reyes by placing her in a suitcase, has not yet entered a plea in the U.S. District Court (SDNY). Court filings said that a lead prosecutor is involved in “preliminary discussions” to settle the case without a trial.
Last month, a judge approved a request for more time to reach a plea deal according to court filings. Greenwich Time reported that this is the sixth continuance of the case since cops arrested Da Silva in February.
Earlier this year, a Greenwich, Connecticut highway worker found Reyes’ body in a suitcase on the side of Glenville Road. Police said that the worker found the 24-year-old bound at the hands and feet.
The SDNY charged Da Silva with kidnapping the 24-year-old bookstore worker days later, which led to her death by suffocation. White Plains federal court also charged him with unlawfully transporting Reyes via suitcase to Greenwich.
On Feb. 11, New Rochelle police arrested Da Silva for withdrawing $1,000 using Reyes’ ATM card. His arrest came nearly two weeks after Reyes’ mother, father and boyfriend reported her missing.
Following his arrest, Da Silva claimed that he and Reyes had sex at her New Rochelle apartment, during which she “fell to the floor and hit her head.” The criminal complaint stated that he bound her mouth and limbs with packing tape before putting her in a suitcase and leaving her body in “a forest.”
The pair had previously dated but broke up about a year before Reyes’ death. Da Silva is a Venezuelan immigrant and had overstayed his visa, according to multiple reports.
