New security footage has emerged of a Miami biotech executive days before he fell 25 floors to his death in a suspected murder.
Justin Zelin, 35, died after he was allegedly thrown from his balcony at the Akoya Condominium in Miami Beach in February. Corey Hutterli, 37, has since been accused of second-degree murder and appeared in court Tuesday.
A surveillance camera feed obtained by NBC6 Miami appears to show Zelin and Hutterli entering the high-rise together through its parking lot on February 12.
Zelin put in a 911 call about a disturbance in his apartment three days later, less than 10 minutes before his death, Local10 reported.
According to police, Zelin could be heard over the phone repeatedly telling Hutterli to leave, before a struggle seemingly broke out between the two men.
Zelin was subsequently found dead on the ground floor outside the condominium by a building employee while officers responding to the call encountered Hutterli departing “in what appears to be an excited state” without his shoes, NBC6 reported.
“What’s going on?” Hutterli said to one of the attending officers, according to the report. “Somebody, he freaked out, attacked me.”
Police said the apartment was subsequently found to be in disarray and Hutterli’s sandals found on the balcony, as was a smudge of blood on its guard rail, per NBC6.
Officers also reported minor injuries on the suspect, including scratches and clumps of his beard missing, and concluded a fight had taken place.
However, Hutterli’s defense attorneys argue that Zelin suffered a mental health episode in the moments leading up to his death, with the defendant at the scene because he had been invited to stay overnight.
“In the morning, JZ [Zelin] came out of his bedroom screaming at Hutterli, who had slept on the couch in the living room,” court records submitted by the attorneys read, per NBC6.
“Initially, JZ sounds calm and coherent with the 911 operator. However, after a few seconds, for no apparent reason, JZ starts screaming in what can only be described as a complete break with reality.
“During this mental break, JZ ran in and out of the apartment, and then he went over the balcony of his 25th floor condo and fell to his death.”
Hutterli has been in jail since his surrender and arrest in April and has a hearing scheduled for Wednesday as he seeks pre-trial release.
Defense attorneys Jayne Weintraub and David Tarras said in a statement: “While the death of a young man is always tragic, there is absolutely no evidence that Corey Hutterli pushed Justin Zelin or caused his fatal fall from the balcony.
“When the full facts and circumstances come to light, it will be clear that Justin Zelin was suffering from a psychotic break with reality as evidenced on the 911 call. We will demonstrate in court that Corey was not responsible for Justin’s death in any manner.”
