Wife of Slain Developer Fantasized 'Pummeling Him to Death'

STAMFORD, Conn. – The estranged wife of a millionaire developer found slain this month in his home fantasized in an e-mail last year about "pummeling him to death," but her lawyer said Tuesday she was only venting her frustrations over her husband's extensive legal and other troubles.

No one has been charged in the death of Andrew Kissel, found slain April 3 in the basement of his rented home. On Tuesday, the attorney for Hayley Kissel, who sent the e-mail, said that she was not involved, and Greenwich police have said she has cooperated in their investigation.

The e-mail exchange between Hayley Kissel and her husband's sister, dated May 2005, was obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press. It was also sent to police.

"Do you know last night in bed I could actually see myself pummeling him to death and just enjoying the sensation of each and every shot and then this morning as I pulled out of the garage ... all I wanted to do was crash into his two Ferraris," Hayley Kissel wrote in the e-mail to Jane Clayton.

Kissel's attorney, Nathan Dershowitz, would not confirm the details of the e-mail but did not dispute its contents. He said she was upset and frustrated because she had just learned that her husband was accused of multimillion-dollar real estate fraud in New York.

"She had nothing to do with his death," Dershowitz said. "If she had any thought, you don't do an e-mail to your sister-in-law. I don't think anyone views these e-mails as anything but venting."

Andrew Kissel, 46, was found bound and stabbed to death just a few days before he was scheduled to plead guilty in federal court to fraud. Police have said there was no sign of forced entry but have refused to discuss a possible motive or suspects.

Police have said that Hayley Kissel, who had been seeking a divorce, was among those interviewed and was cooperative.

William Kissel, Andrew's father, has rejected speculation that his son — facing possible prison time — hired someone to kill him so his children could collect millions in insurance.

He said Tuesday that the e-mail concerned him. "People don't verbalize things like this," he said. "The e-mail speaks for itself."

Andrew Kissel was the brother of Robert Kissel, who died three years ago in Hong Kong when his wife fed him a strawberry milkshake laced with poison and bludgeoned him to death with a statue.

In divorce papers filed in February, Hayley Kissel accused her husband of being a belligerent alcoholic who had defrauded her and sought to have him removed from their home.

Hayley Kissel's e-mail exchanges with her sister-in-law, peppered with expletives, began May 22, 2005. Among her statements were "GOD I HATE YOUR BROTHER" and "Sorry, just had to vent."

"You ok?" Clayton responded.

"I am ok," Kissell responded a day later, adding, "He is just such an awful awful pathetic person" and other comments, according to the document.

She complained that her husband had shirked his responsibility to his family.

After writing that she could pummel him, she complained that her husband had put "this stupid pole in the garage" to stop her from hitting the Ferraris, she wrote, according to the document. "Do you know that I intentionally bang into the thing everytime I park in the garage as an act of defiance."