Eduard Nektalov, a 46-year-old fixture in the Bukharian Jewish community of NYC, was shot multiple times in what detectives initially ruled out as a robbery. With $1,350 and an expensive watch found on him, police focused their investigation on other motives. Nektalov, who immigrated from Uzbekistan in the late 1980s, was a family man who established a successful jewelry business. Detectives collected evidence, including shell casings and bullet analysis, while reviewing security footage from the Diamond District, where the murder occurred, to identify the shooter.
"The victim had a very expensive watch and his identification, his wallet, $1,350, so robbery was ruled out almost immediately," said Brian MacLeod, a now-retired New York City Police Department homicide detective.
Nektalov came to New York City in the late 1980s when he was 16 with his father, Roman, and his brother. "His father, through family connections, was able to open a stall in the Diamond District," said New York journalist and author Julie Satow.
Detectives focused on the evidence in hand. Three bullets recovered from Nektalov's body were sent for ballistics analysis.
Detectives tried to identify him based on security-camera footage recorded images of the shooter in the Diamond District - a hub for luxury jewelry.
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