Naman Shrestha
Netflix’s ‘Homicide: New York’ is a true crime docuseries that walks us through some of the most challenging and biggest homicidal cases through the perspective of the detectives and prosecutors involved in the investigation. The episode titled ‘Midtown Slasher’ delves deep into the case of Howard Pilmar’s gruesome death in his office in 1996. The successful businessman was only 40 years old and at the prime of his professional career when he was suddenly taken away from his loved ones and the world. When the detectives took over the case, it took them more than two decades to uncover some secrets.
Howard Pilmar Was Found Murdered in His Office
Howard David Pilmar emerged into the world of the Pilmar family on February 3, 1956 as a bundle of joy. He was born and raised in New York encompassed by the love, care and support of his loved ones. While growing up, he was quite attached to his sister, Rhonda, and their father, Frank Pilmar, who was more like a friend to them. Not just that, he also shared a great bond with Carol Pilmar, who entered Howard and Rhonda’s lives when their father tied the knot with her. With Carol’s entry into the Pilmar family and Frank’s adoption of her daughter, Heather, the sibling duo found a stepsister to dote upon. Since he came of age, Howard had big plans for his future. He was determined to successful enough to ensure his loved ones get to live a fulfilled and prosperous life.
As he was in high school prepping for a better tomorrow, Howard stumbled upon Roslyn whose personality captured his heart. After seeing each other for a while, they celebrated the union of their souls in the presence of their family and friends in 1982. As per Roslyn’s sister, Janna Wald, the two seemed completely enamored by each other and made a great couple. A few years later, in 1986, they added another member to their family when their son, Philip, was born. One thing led to another, and Howard managed to make his dream come true by becoming a successful entrepreneur. He was the head of King Office Supply, a thriving Manhattan-based office supply store he inherited from his father who established the business with his blood, sweat, and tears for over half a century.
Not just that, Howard also owned two gourmet cafes under his son’s name — Philip’s Coffee Shop. Interestingly, Roslyn, who was a dental hygienist by profession, had moved on to oversee their coffee venture. It seemed like Howard Pilmar had it all; the 40-year-old was a wealthy businessman with a loving family and a luxurious apartment in the affluent neighborhood of Upper East Side in the borough of Manhattan. Meanwhile, his father, Frank, and stepmother, Carol, were residing in Arizona at the time. However, their lives changed forever in March 1996 when the father of one lost his life in a brutal attack that shocked the community. On March 22, Howard was found dead in his office on East 33rd Street.
In the early hours of the fateful morning, an employee found the entrepreneur lying in the pool of his own blood in the hallway outside of his workspace. When the police arrived, they declared that Howard was stabbed over 40 times in the chest, neck and other parts of his body. Additionally, the killer/s also cut his throat to prevent him from alerting someone. As per medical reports, the 40-year-old did fight back but he succumbed to the injuries sustained in the merciless attack. The authorities also revealed that Howard was stabbed even after he passed away. There was no sign of forced entry at the crime scene and his wallet was also intact. Going by that and the manner in which he was killed, the police ruled out robbery and believed it was due to personal reasons. Taking all of that into consideration, the authorities launched an investigation into Howard Pilmar’s murder.
Howard Pilmar Was Backstabbed by Two Close Ones
After collecting evidence from the crime scene, the detectives began the interrogation process, questioning Howard Pilmar’s loved ones as well as his employees. Upon interviewing one of the employees named Ron Tucker, they found some important details that led them to a series of clues. He claimed that just a day before Howard’s body was found covered in blood, Howard and his wife Roslyn got into a heated argument on the phone around 5:30 pm in the evening. The authorities also got to know about the fact that Roslyn attempted to sell the business soon after her husband’s demise.
Moreover, reports suggested that Howard and Evan Wald, Roslyn’s brother, did not see eye to eye. Still, as a favor to his wife, Howard gave Evan a job at Philip’s Coffee on 33rd Street, which was inside the King Group office. Meanwhile, Roslyn was employed at the other branch of Philip’s Coffee. After a while of working at the coffee shop, Evan took control of the shop and treated the job like he owned the company. In light of all these revelations, the detectives called the brother-sister duo in for questioning. As per Roslyn and Evan’s claims, on March 21, 1996, the latter went to the gym with Howard to discuss his promotion in the company — Evan wanted to become a part of sales of the King Group.
After finishing their workout session, Howard and Evan headed to the King Group office around 7:45 pm. A few minutes later, Roslyn and Evan left behind Howard, who stayed in to finish some important work in the office, making the brother and sister the last people to have seen Howard alive. During the interrogation, the investigators noticed a suspicious cut on his left hand, making him a person of interest in their eyes. As far as Roslyn was concerned, she was in trouble with one of her former employers as she had reportedly embezzled a large sum of money.
Since Roslyn was in line to receive more than a million dollars in life insurance benefits, she also seemed to have a strong motive. Moreover, their marriage was on the verge of falling apart, so Howard had also begun the divorce proceedings. Although Howard’s murder appeared to be a family affair, there was not enough evidence to prove that they were the culprits. With a lack of evidence and development in the case, the investigation went cold until 2013, when a new team of detectives and prosecutors took over the case and re-examined all the aspects of Howard’s murder.
While in the process of talking to all the related people who could not speak earlier, the investigators reached out to the Pilmar family’s nanny, Allyson Lewis, who revealed some critical details about the night of Howard’s death. Usually very specific about Allyson’s schedule, Roslyn told her that she would be in a meeting with Howard and Evan but was unable to tell her how late she would be working, something that had never happened before. On the night of March 21, 1996, Roslyn paged Allyson, who was with Philip in Chelsea Piers Sports Complex, a couple of times to let her know that she would have a car service take them home. What was strange about it was the fact that Howard’s wife had never paged her before.
Roslyn called Allyson and instructed her to take Philip home as she and Evan were “not done here.” When she arrived at the Pilmar residence with Philip, it was weirdly dark and Roslyn was in a bathrobe, wanting the nanny to leave the property. The investigators had everything they needed to move forward with the case. So, in August 2017, more than two decades after Howard’s tragic death, both Evan and Roslyn were arrested, while the latter was in her apartment that she shared with her boyfriend at the time.
Ros Pilmar and Evan Wald Are Serving Their Respective Sentences
The trial of Roslyn Pilmar and Evan Wald for the murder of Howard Pilmar commenced on January 27, 2019. During the trial, the lead prosecutor stated, “They planned it as a trap, and they set it up as a trap. And he didn’t stand a chance.” After a couple of months, in March 2019, the brother and sister were found guilty by the jury and convicted of all the charges against them.
Finally, in July of the same year, Roslyn and Evan received the maximum sentence — 25 years to life of incarceration. While Roslyn Pilmar is currently serving her sentence in Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women at 247 Harris Road in Bedford Hills, her brother Evan Wald is held up at Sing Sing Correctional Facility at 354 Hunter Street in Ossining. Both are eligible for parole in 2042.
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