News of the horrific attack brought hordes of media outlets to Carnegie Deli, though rare was a murder in such a touristy section of the city. Coverage was amplified when it was discovered Stahl was an up-and-rising actress, dancer, and singer who’d managed to get a small part in the hit 1987 film Dirty Dancing, just two years after moving to the Big Apple.
“Jen wanted to be a star,” friend Barbara Coleman told New York Homicide. “New York is where everything happens.”
Police soon learned from the crime scene that Stahl also had a rather lucrative side hustle by selling marijuana, catering to a clientele in the city’s theater and media districts.
“There were a bunch of jars, and all the jars had buds of marijuana in them,” according to Det. Irma Rivera. “I realized that this was not a weed that people sell on the street; it seemed more like gourmet weed to me.”
Stahl had a vast network of friends and “accomplished musicians” who visited the apartment on any given day. A passion for music led her into the arms of her boyfriend, a drummer who matched the description of one of the two men seen running away from the crime scene.
Friend Katya Surrence told New York Homicide that there was “a little bit of violence” between Stahl and her partner. In fact, just days before the attack, Stahl had broken her pinkie during an alleged altercation with the drummer. But though friends had their suspicions, Stahl’s boyfriend had an alibi and was quickly ruled out as a suspect.
Investigators turned their attention toward Stahl’s marijuana business.
“Jen had a variety of clientele,” said Stahl’s friend, Michelle Cramer. “She had people who worked in the music industry, rappers, producers, and it was just a lot of her long-time friends.”