Shivangi Sinha
In July 2012, Jonathan Crupi from Staten Island, New York, contacted the police and informed them that his wife had been stabbed. He claimed that everything had been fine when he left home that morning, but when he returned, he discovered that the entire house had been ransacked and had turned into a murder scene. As police began their investigation, it didn’t appear to be a typical burglary gone wrong. That’s when they started to realize that the clues they were searching for were actually hidden in plain sight. The case is explored in-depth, along with its timeline, in NBC’s ‘Dateline: Secrets of the Sliding Door.’
Simeonette Mapes-Crupi Was Working as a Teacher When She Was Killed
Theresa and John Mapes Jr. welcomed their daughter, Simeonette “Sissy” Mapes, on September 25, 1982. The family was living in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at the time, but frequently relocated due to John’s service in the US Air Force. Along with her brother John Mapes III, Sissy spent her childhood in several places, including Staten Island, Florida, and eventually the Fort Hamilton Army Base in Brooklyn. Known for her dedication to academics, she excelled throughout her time at Fort Hamilton High School and later at the College of Staten Island in Willowbrook. She earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education and was passionate about building a career in the field.
While pursuing her Master’s degree, Sissy met Jonathan Crupi, and the two were married in July 2008. They settled in New Springville, New York, and appeared to be leading a contented life. Sissy was deeply committed to her career and had begun began working at The School for Classics: An Academy of Thinkers, Writers, and Performers in Brooklyn in 2007. There, she not only taught but also led the Girls Leadership Club and founded the Fairy Godmothers Project, which helped provide prom dresses to underprivileged girls. She maintained an active, purposeful life, and her husband eventually joined the school as a fellow teacher.
The couple shared their home with two beloved dogs and were looking forward to starting a family. However, on July 5, 2012, around 2 pm, Jonathan called the police to report that Sissy had died. When authorities arrived at the scene, they found her lying at the bottom of the stairs. She was pronounced dead shortly after. The autopsy revealed that she had been pushed from the top of the staircase and had suffered 15 stab wounds, primarily to her back and neck. The coroner concluded that she had died from excessive blood loss due to the stabbing injuries.
The Killer Staged the Crime Scene to Mimic a Botched Robbery
The police quickly surveyed the house and found it in complete disarray, but oddly, valuable items like credit cards, blank checks, and even Simeonette “Sissy” Mapes-Crupi’s engagement ring were untouched. This raised doubts about the theory of a robbery gone wrong. Investigators noticed the back door was slightly ajar and collected it for DNA evidence. They then questioned Jonathan Crupi about his whereabouts that day. He claimed he left home around 7:30 am to get books his wife needed for summer school. He also said he went to Home Depot and sent Sissy a text asking her opinion on a rug but never got a reply. According to him, he returned home at 2 pm and immediately called the police upon discovering her body.
When the DNA evidence came back, it revealed Jonathan’s DNA along with that of a woman whose identity couldn’t be immediately matched. The police reached out to the school where Sissy worked, and they confirmed that there were no books she would have needed for the summer school, which made them suspect that Jonathan had been lying about certain details. Additionally, surveillance footage from the Home Depot in the Charleston area of Staten Island showed no sign of him being there. When they checked the mileage on his vehicle, it was inconsistent with the distances he had mentioned in his timeline. Further investigation into Sissy’s laptop uncovered a phone number she had searched for, which was saved in her phone under the contact name “woman.” The number was traced to a sex worker who went by the name “Miss Pumpkin.”
The Statement of a Sex Worker Helped Police Catch Simeonette Mapes-Crupi’s Killer
The police brought the woman, known as Miss Pumpkin, in for questioning, and she revealed that she had known Jonathan Crupi for a long time. She stated that on the morning of July 5, 2012, he had urgently asked to meet her, which was unusual since he typically planned their meetings days in advance. The police then interviewed Sissy’s family, and her mother, Theresa Mapes, revealed that Sissy had confided in her about Jonathan not actually finishing his Master’s degree, as he had claimed. Upon further investigation, the police discovered that he had been frequently meeting with various sex workers, and it was clear that Sissy had found out about his secret activities.
The police conducted another search of the house, and in a locked closet that could not have been opened due to Sissy’s head blocking it, they discovered more crucial evidence. They found a disposable cell phone that Jonathan had been using, along with his laptop, which contained disturbing internet searches such as “how to throat slash” and “what destroys DNA?” Some of them were dated months before the murder. The autopsy report confirmed that Sissy had been killed in the early morning hours of July 5, which placed Jonathan at the scene during that time.
Ultimately, Miss Pumpkin was found to have no connection to the case. The police concluded that Jonathan had likely killed Sissy in a fit of rage after she confronted him with questions about his behavior, then later went to meet Miss Pumpkin. The DNA from Miss Pumpkin was transferred to the door when Jonathan touched her before entering through the back door. He was arrested in November 2012 and was eventually convicted of his wife’s murder.
Read More: How Did Miss Pumpkin Help in Jonathan Crupi’s Conviction?
