Annabel Richter, a 21-year-old student at the Fashion Institute of Technology, was found dead in her Chelsea dormitory after being drugged and assaulted in an incident that has shocked her family and community. Prosecutors allege that Moises Freire, 19, administered drugs to both Richter and her roommate in March, leading to their unconscious states. While the roommate survived after being hospitalized, Richter succumbed to a fentanyl overdose.

Richter, originally from São Paulo, Brazil, had moved to New York City to pursue her studies and build a future far from home. She was living alone in the city, with her immediate family remaining in Brazil and only her grandmother, Virginia “Gini” Richter, residing in Washington state. A close family friend described her as bright and kind-hearted, expressing concern over her decision to study so far from home without a support system in place.

“She wanted to go to New York,” the family friend said, noting the worry about her being on her own in an unfamiliar environment. The grandmother has been deeply affected by the tragedy and remains in a state of shock and grief.

Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the case, while the community mourns the loss of a young woman whose promising future was cut short under tragic circumstances.