Bring Nursing Student's Suspected Killer Back to U.S. to Face Justice, Senator Says
New York Senator Charles Schumer wants federal officials to step up efforts have the man accused of killing 22-year-old New York nursing student Haley Anderson extradited from Nicaragua so he can be prosecuted in connection with her death.
Suspect Orlando Tercero, 22, is the ex-boyfriend of Haley Anderson and a fellow nursing student at the State University of New York at Binghamton. He was arrested Tuesday afternoon by Nicaragua National Police in connection with the homicide of Anderson, whose body was found dead March 9 in her off-campus apartment.
Schumer, the Senate Minority Leader, is asking Acting United States Secretary of State John Sullivan “to immediately use all available diplomatic influence to convince the Nicaraguan government to extradite” Tercero back to New York.
In a statement issued Thursday, Schumer said his office is working with Broome County District Attorney Steve Cornwell “to make sure all appropriate law enforcement and diplomatic authorities are actively working together to ensure Tercero is extradited to the United States to stand trial” for killing Anderson, a Long Island native.
• Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.
“Today I am strongly urging the U.S. State Department to do everything within its power to see that murder suspect Orlando Tercero is promptly extradited to the United States to stand trial for this heinous murder of Binghamton University nursing student Haley Anderson,” said Schumer. “While my words of sympathy will not soothe the pain and suffering the Anderson family is feeling right now, I can promise them that I will strongly urge the highest levels of the State and Justice Departments to make sure that our federal government is doing everything possible to deliver them justice.”
• For more compelling true crime coverage, follow our Crime magazine on Flipboard.
While the United States has an extradition treaty with Nicaragua, Schumer said unforeseen circumstances could stymie efforts to return Tercero to the states.
“I understand that, while we have an extradition treaty with Nicaragua, there are challenges to achieving this vital objective due to Nicaraguan law,” he wrote.
Authorities allege Tercero left the country on an international flight before Anderson’s body was found. An international manhunt for Tercero ensued.
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up for funeral expenses. Anyone with information on her death is asked to contact the Binghamton Police Detective Division at 607-772-7080 or 607-772-7082.
