The death of swimwear designer Sylvie Cachay, who was found dead in a bathtub at New York's famous Soho House hotel in December 2010, turned into a murder investigation. Her boyfriend Nicholas Brooks was arrested and charged with murder based on strangulation marks and testimony from hotel staff.
The fall of a fashion star
Growing up in Virginia as the daughter of a Peruvian family, Sylvie Cachay quickly rose in the fashion world, founding her own swimwear brand, Syla, at age 29. Her designs appeared in magazines like Vogue, Elle, and Sports Illustrated, and were sold in luxury stores such as Barneys. Her former public relations manager Lesa McHale highlighted her success, saying, 'Designs that create a 'wow' feeling like hers are rare.'
However, the 2008 economic crisis forced investors to pull back, and Cachay had to temporarily close her brand. During this difficult period, she also separated from her fiancé Ben Baker. Although she later began working as head designer for Anne Cole, she continued to dream of reviving her own brand.
The last night in the hotel room
In the summer of 2010, Cachay's life changed when she met Nicholas Brooks, who was about 10 years younger than her. After a candle fire broke out in Cachay's New York apartment in December, the couple went to Soho House to spend the night. According to hotel records, Cachay checked in after midnight, exhausted, and told receptionist Kristen Stephens that she had taken a sleeping pill.
Alone with Cachay in the elevator, Stephens heard the young woman complain about her boyfriend. Blaming Brooks for the fire, Cachay said, 'Who puts a candle by the bedside? He's 10 years younger than me, I should break up with him.' Stephens helped Cachay into bed and then left the room.
As the night went on, Stephens heard loud arguments coming from Cachay's room while walking down the hallway. When she turned the corner and the voices suddenly stopped, she became worried and went into the adjacent room to listen through the wall, but heard no movement or sound. She later expressed regret, saying, 'I wish I had knocked on the door; maybe I could have helped her.'
The lifeless body in the bathtub
In the morning, hotel staff noticed water leaking from Cachay's room. When they opened the door, they found the young woman's lifeless body in the overflowing bathtub, wearing a black turtleneck sweater and underwear. Even her Rolex watch on her wrist had not been removed. Detective Robert Moller said, 'Normal people don't take a bath with their clothes on,' indicating their suspicion. Strangulation marks were found on Cachay's neck, and a cut on the inside of her lip that looked like it had been pressed by a hand.
Hotel security cameras recorded Brooks entering and leaving the room throughout the night, pacing in the hallway, and finally leaving the room at 2:18 a.m. In his statement to police, Brooks said that after being with Cachay that night, he went to eat, returned to find her sleeping, and then went out again. However, restaurant staff said Brooks barely touched his meal.
It emerged that Brooks went to a bar with a jazz musician he met outside, where he drank alcohol and used drugs. By the time Brooks left the hotel, staff had noticed the flooding in the room and discovered Cachay's lifeless body.
Arrest and interrogation
When Brooks returned to the hotel at 5:30 a.m. and learned his girlfriend was dead, he showed no reaction. Former night manager Bryan Alvarez said, 'He looked with a blank expression, not like someone who had lost a loved one.' Brooks was taken into custody, reportedly drunk and incoherent.
During interrogation, Brooks said that after the fire, Cachay took a sleeping pill, and when they went to the hotel, she mentioned taking a bath, but he didn't know what happened while he was out. However, the clothes on Cachay, the strangulation marks, and the testimony of hotel staff strengthened the possibility of murder.
Brooks' question to police at the time of his arrest, 'How much time will I get for this?' caught investigators' attention. Detective Tommy Jones said they were surprised when they heard those words. Nicholas Brooks was arrested on charges of killing Sylvie Cachay, and the trial process began.
