Mugshot of Robert Chambers
On this date in 1986, the lifeless body of 18-year-old Jennifer Levin was discovered under a tree in New York City’s Central Park, just hours after she was last seen leaving an Upper East Side bar with 19-year-old Robert Chambers. This tragic event would soon capture national attention, as Chambers, a strikingly handsome former altar boy who had attended prestigious Manhattan private schools, was arrested and charged with her murder. The media quickly labeled him the “Preppy Killer,” a moniker that encapsulated the case’s shocking nature and the broader societal issues it exposed.
Levin, a recent graduate of an elite Manhattan private school, had been at Dorrian’s Red Hand, a bar known for its popularity among prep-school students, in the early hours of that fateful day. It was there that she encountered Chambers, someone she knew only casually. Chambers, a college dropout who had grown up on Manhattan’s affluent Upper East Side, had a troubled past. Despite his privileged surroundings, his family was not wealthy, and he had spiraled into drug and alcohol abuse during his teenage years. This led to his expulsion from several private schools.
After leaving Dorrian’s together around 4:30 a.m., Levin and Chambers made their way to Central Park. At approximately 6:15 a.m., a cyclist found Levin’s body near the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Her body bore signs of a violent struggle—badly bruised and partially clothed. A witness later recalled seeing a man fitting Chambers’ description near the scene, watching as police arrived.
Initially, Chambers denied any involvement in Levin’s death, even claiming that the scratches on his face were from a cat. However, under pressure, he eventually provided videotaped and written statements suggesting that Levin’s death was the result of rough sex gone wrong. An autopsy revealed that Levin had died from asphyxia caused by strangulation, further contradicting Chambers’ narrative.
The subsequent trial was highly publicized, with the city and nation watching closely. On March 25, 1988, after nine days of deadlocked jury deliberations, Chambers changed his plea to guilty of manslaughter, avoiding a murder conviction. He was sentenced to five to fifteen years in prison.
Chambers’ time in prison was far from uneventful. His repeated involvement in drug and weapons violations led to nearly five years spent in solitary confinement. After serving his full sentence, he was released in 2003, but his freedom was short-lived. In 2008, he was convicted again, this time for selling drugs, resulting in a 19-year prison sentence. Chambers was finally released in 2023, closing another chapter in a life marked by privilege, crime, and tragedy.
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