What happened to Felix Brinkmann? Details explored ahead of New York Homicide on Oxygen
In July 2009, 90-year-old Felix Brinkmann— who had survived the Holocaust— was found dead inside his Upper East Side apartment. His hands were bound, he had been beaten and strangled. Authorities ruled it a robbery gone wrong as per Oxygen.com, on January 31, 2025.
Brinkmann was born in Latvia, and later sent to concentration camps during World War II. He survived forced labor in places like Auschwitz. Once the war ended, he relocated to New York. His murder, and the investigation that followed, will be featured in season 3 of New York Homicide, in the episode Death After Disco, airing on Oxygen.
Felix Brinkmann, 90-year-old Holocaust survivor, was found dead in the bedroom of his Upper East Side apartment
Felix Brinkmann, a Holocaust survivor who endured multiple N*zi concentration camps, was found murdered in his Manhattan apartment on July 30, 2009. When neighbors noticed his absence, concerns grew. The building superintendent eventually entered his unit and made a grim discovery.
Brinkmann was found face down on his bed, his hands tied behind his back. His body showed signs of trauma. Initially, authorities believed a head injury was the cause of death. But later, the New York City Medical Examiner's Office confirmed that he had been strangled, with the official cause listed as "compression to the neck," as per NBC New York, July 31, 2009.
Investigators found the apartment in disarray. The furniture was out of place, and belongings were scattered, showing that someone had been searching for valuables. There was no sign of forced entry, suggesting that Brinkmann may have known the person or people responsible.
Brinkmann’s blue Honda Civic, which had a personalized license plate reading "FELIX B," was also missing from the building’s garage as per NBC New York, July 31, 2009.
Investigation of Felix Brinkmann murder and conviction
After a detailed investigation, police arrested three suspects: Aljulah Cutts, his brother, Hasib, and Angela Murray. Authorities found that Brinkmann was targeted in a robbery. The attackers believed he had money stored in a safe inside his apartment. When he refused to give them access, they tortured him and took his life.
At his 2012 trial, Cutts denied involvement, telling the court,
"Despite what the DA says...I tried to stay as clean as I can... I know I did not commit this heinous crime," Cutts said (NBC New York, June 21, 2012).
However, the jury found him guilty, and he was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. The judge in the case, Juan Merchan, emphasized Brinkmann’s resilience, stating, “You did not know the strength and resolve of Mr. Brinkmann,” noted in New York Post, June 21, 2012.
Felix Brinkmann's life of survival
Felix Brinkmann was born in Latvia, but his family later settled in Germany. Life was normal until World War II changed everything. As the war escalated, Brinkmann and his family were forced into a ghetto. Not long after, they were deported to concentration camps, including Mauthausen, Ebensee, and Auschwitz.
Brinkmann was kept alive by his ability to speak fluent German, and his skills as an electrician. According to his son, Rick Brinkmann in a blog post dated April 2, 2009, he was selected for the gas chamber five times. Each time, he managed to talk his way out of death, convincing N*zi officers that he was too valuable to be killed.
Felix Brinkmann's story is revisited in New York Homicide season 3, in the episode Death After Disco, airing on Oxygen.
Stay tuned for more updates.
