Man pleads not guilty in fatal stabbing of ex-wife

A 50-year-old Lindenhurst man pleaded not guilty Monday to second-degree intentional murder after, Suffolk police said, he choked and stabbed his ex-wife to death, set their house on fire and tried to take his own life.

Muhammet Karadag was held without bail after his arraignment in First District Court in Central Islip. His attorney, Daniel Russo of Patchogue, did not respond to numerous requests for comment.

The criminal complaint filed by the Suffolk district attorney's office said Karadag, known to friends as "Mike," admitted to attacking Gulcin Karadag, 49, by striking her in the head, choking her and stabbing her at least twice in the chest. The district attorney's office declined to comment on the case after the arraignment.

Police said the house on North Erie Avenue, which both Karadags lived in, was set on fire about 4:15 a.m. Sunday. An hour later, police say, they found Muhammet Karadag unconscious in his Chevrolet Tahoe parked at Sore Thumb Beach in Babylon. Police said he apparently had tried to overdose on prescription drugs.

The body of Gulcin Karadag, 49, was discovered in the back of the sport utility vehicle, wrapped in a blanket, police said. A friend and neighbor of the couple, John DeFrancisco, 51, said they sometimes went to that beach to watch the sunrise.

Police and family said in interviews that the couple had divorced but remained in the same home. They said Muhammet Karadag was out of work. Real estate records show the home has been in foreclosure since June 2009. Gulcin Karadag's brother, Tim Yalcin, said his sister had saved up her money and planned to move out of the house next month after returning from a trip to her native Turkey.

"I was begging her to get out the last couple months," said Yalcin, 47, of Naples, Fla. He said his sister, known to friends and family as "Gayle," had reverted to her maiden name, Yalcin.

A few months ago, police were summoned to the house over a domestic dispute incident, said Det. Lt. Gerard Pelkofsky, commanding officer of the Suffolk homicide squad. No one was charged.

"The matter was resolved," Pelkofsky said. He did not have any more details on the incident.

Monday, friends and family recalled Gulcin Karadag as an ebullient presence who loved to host dinner parties and backyard barbecues.

"She was upbeat, funny, quirky," said Susan Santelli, a neighbor and friend.

Gulcin Karadag emigrated from Turkey with her family at age 5. "She loved helping others," Tim Yalcin said.