The Preppy Killer | Full Episode | Forensic Files

real people real crimes real life drama the only reason I'm sitting here in front of you is because somebody's dead
I've never intended anything to happen I never even tended to go out that night let alone hurt somebody Robert anything
to say is 11 family or kill somebody did you think about Jennifer Levin every day
[Music] he's having her way with me without my consent with my hands behind my back
hurting me I swung my arm I struck her neck in the throat area and I pulled her off of me and to the side so that she
speak again after she fell to the ground no [Music] I'd never seen a dead person before
after you killed Jennifer Levin you want him you got undressed and you went to bed you know how callous
and unfeeling that sounds do you know how callous and feeling it feels just tell us how it feels to be out of
jail and what you're thinking right now I was response response question about that you
admitted guilt but you did not intend to kill her I don't believe I intended to kill her at all it was an accident yes
but if it was an accident why wouldn't you call an ambulance why wouldn't you call the police
because I was scared everything he said about how she died is absolutely untrue this is the left
side of his face there's one deep severe scratch Mark and there's another long Mark here that tells us that she was
face to face with the person who was trying to kill her that tells us that she was frantically fighting for her
life you had your hands around her neck and you squeezed no I did not it was not
a struggle for life [Music] am I a monster no because if I were a monster I wouldn't
care but I do I'll never be termed a great person we never be termed a good person
but maybe one day I'll be a person that learned but that didn't happen as Troy Roberts
and I will show you Robert Chambers was soon making headlines once again I'm Richard Schlesinger tonight on 48
hours the preppy killer [Music] foreign [Music] 48 hours we'll be back in 90 seconds
[Music] now in 2003 Robert Chambers walked out of prison after 15 years a free man
still pursued by his own infamy 44.33 so that's what I got for 15 years he was 36 but people still remembered
him from the summer of 1986 when he was 19. in New York a city where Killers get
titles Robert Chambers quickly became known as the preppy murderer he looked the part and his face was everywhere the
story of how he strangled a beautiful 18 year old named Jennifer Levin in Central
Park was the Talk of the Town there was a horrible Grizzly murder of a beautiful
young woman Pete Hamill was a columnist for the New York daily news there's a rule of thumb in the Tabloid business
that a murder at a good address is better than your run-of-the-mill murder it happened on Manhattan's Tony
have known more for money than murder Chambers and Levin had dated before and met the night of August 25th that
dorian's red hand a bar that catered to the Sons and Daughters of the ridge Robert and Jennifer left dorians around
4 4 30 in the morning at 6 20 a cyclist in the park found her body Jennifer's body was found under this
tree Linda fierstein prosecuted Robert Chambers who became a suspect within hours of the murder she was a 48 Hours
consultant the police went to Robert Chambers because they knew he was a friend of Jennifer's they went there so
that he could help identify how she got separated from her friends oh so when they first met Robert Chambers he was
not a suspect not in the least the minute the two detectives homicide detectives saw him they saw deep fresh
bloody scratches on both sides of his face his first explanation that his cat scratched him quickly collapsed
and after police brought him in for questioning he admitted killing Jennifer he said it was an accident
I didn't mean to hurt her I liked her very much the story he told police seemed to blame Jennifer it was shocking
and graphic he's raping you in the block Robert Collins having her way with me without my consent with my hands behind
my back hurting me simply put chamber's story was in what came to be called rough sex Jennifer hurt him and he
struck her to make her stop but I reached up like this and grabbed and I came down like that on my hand
she came over this way and landed right there right next to the tree did you believe any of what you heard on
that type everything he said in that statement about how she died is absolutely untrue when police
undressed Chambers they discovered more scratches on his chest fierstein says these injuries were not from rough sex
but from a violent struggle in the park they argued about something what it is Chambers was charged with second-degree
murder as the trial approached Fair Stein began learning a lot about the so-called preppy murderer
she believes the only thing preppy about him was his looks his button-down costume covered up a life of crime and
addiction he looked like a male model people treated him like he was a graduate of an Ivy League college and
had this Prep School background and yet in fact his days were really spent with the underbelly of New York drug life
doing what stealing to get the money to buy drugs this videotape gave the public a peek at
the real Robert Chambers Fair Stein believes it was made at a party Chambers attended while he was on bail Chambers
holding a doll appears to mock Jennifer Levin's death I think I killed him Jennifer's mother
Ellen appearing on the Larry King show thought Chambers showed his true colors on that tape I was horrified when I saw
it but in a way I was also glad that he showed himself for what he really was during the tryout Chambers
lawyer mounted a defense some described as lurid and salacious that tried to damage Jennifer's character I felt like
I was Burying my daughter every time I opened the newspaper and read the horrible headlines you know attacking
her reputation after almost three months of testimony and nine days of deliberating the jury
appeared unable to reach a verdict so fairstein made a deal Chambers pled guilty to first-degree manslaughter it
was a step down for murder but as part of the agreement Chambers had to admit in open court that he intended to hurt
Jennifer when he killed her the love and family have gone through hell because of
my actions and I am sorry despite all the evidence she had against Chambers Linda fierstein could never
prove one crucial Point why Chambers would want to murder Jennifer you couldn't stand up in front of the
jury and say ladies and gentlemen Robert Chambers killed Jennifer Levin because they argued about ex-wife absolutely you
couldn't say that I could not did that hurt you oh yes it hurt tremendously I mean I can tell you as a matter of law
that the prosecution does not have to prove motive I can tell you as a matter of fact that there's nothing that the
jury would like to hear more than why that happened there is only one person alive who knows
what happened that night he never spoke at his trial and he hasn't spoken since until now
[Music] after his release from prison we brought Robert Chambers to a hotel outside of
Washington D.C have you been able to take a walk by yourself yet uh I've been out for walks he'd reunite
with his parents no there were a lot of people out walking around and for the first time talk publicly about his crime
right now if I had a choice between talking to you right now and being back in the Box solitary
I choose solitary in a second it's a lot easier than this I don't want to be here but Chambers
felt by doing one major interview the media attention might ease up and he also had a Personal Agenda Robert
Chambers wanted to talk about Jennifer Levin did you think about Jennifer Levin every day as the afternoon passed the
interview would go on for four tense hours and every day I know that I'm in prison I'm in prison because somebody
died and I am responsible for that it's not an easy feeling you don't get comfortable with it and it's part of my
life for the rest of my life over and over again Chambers apologized for the way he lived his life I feel it
in a way he had stolen Jennifer Levin's because I can never make up for the death of Jennifer Levin I can
never make up for the pain I cause her family I've been a bad person am I a monster
no as if I were a monster I wouldn't care but I do but to millions of Americans who saw this tape of a teenage party a
belief had been built Robert Chambers had no concern for the 11 families endless pain
the videotape of you at that party was perhaps the single most defining moment in this whole story
more people out there who were willing to give you the benefit of the doubt until they saw you on that videotape
what were you thinking huh if I was thinking I would never have been there I was stupid I was arrogant when
everybody was acting silly and I acted silly reenacting a crime certainly not it was not no
I reenacting a crime it sure did look like that to me I can see how it may be interpreted like that you weren't trying
to give someone the impression that this was Jennifer Levin the doll no how could you be so dumb
that seems to be a theme that runs through many things that I do rehearse lines from a con artist or Genuine
repentance Chambers seem to want the world that had condemned him to reconsider its judgment
and I think people at home May suspect that what you're doing right now is playing a
role a role that you perfected pretty well as a teenager what do you say to that
would I like to be forgiven I wouldn't even think of asking for that would I like the opportunity to
apologize with actions behind it backing it up yes am I acting I don't know how to act I'm too scared
to act right now you say I'm well mannered and everything I'm here holding my hands
[Music] scared but I'm here [Music] [Music] Robert Chambers was a working-class kid
in a white glove neighborhood of the museums all the cultural things the social situations the the fancy
tuxedo balls that they have the debutant bowls [Music] it was something that was part of
the culture of the area his father Robert senior was a credit manager his mother Phyllis an Irish immigrant was a
private duty nurse it was her determination not any family fortune that gained Robert Chambers access to an
exclusive world of privilege possibility and private schools you had to work tremendous hours to pay the bills yes
but I never mind it doing it because my parents education was a very big and important area in their lives
and you wanted to do the same thing for your son yes she wanted the best she always worked hard
gave me what not only what I wanted but what I needed which might have been good education although you know I
screwed that up myself Robert Chambers bounced from one prestigious Prep School to another in a blur of bad behavior and
poor grades he eventually graduated and went on to college but just for a semester before he was asked to leave
there too I'm running around partying all the time I didn't take life seriously I didn't take School seriously
what were your hopes for him that he would pursue a good education be the best person he could be
and help others he disappointed her terribly Robert yes I did how do you even begin to make it up to her
how do you do that I think probably by letting her know that I take responsibility for everything I
did but as a teenager responsibility was the last thing on Robert Chambers mind get high for three days and sleep for
two days get up and do it again and somehow squeeze School in there if you could manage it partying with
people often twice his age women were very attracted to you even at a very young age
what did that do to your ego built it up so big you couldn't walk through a door but along with a swelled
ego came a far more serious problem cocaine cocaine how often did you snort coke three times a week four times a
week somewhere around there would you describe yourself as a drug addict yeah yeah I have an addictive personality so
how much money were you spending when you're having probably two three hundred dollars a week how did you find 300 a
week sometimes money for my family sometimes money from work and sometimes doing things that were wrong taking
things selling things the homes of the scale neighborhood were Chambers targets police estimate he and a partner stole
as much as seventy thousand dollars in jewelry and other valuables so you started burglarizing homes yeah I did
it was this Robert Chambers a petty thief and drug addict who walked through these doors on August 25th 1986.
dorian's red hand is a comfortable hangout on Manhattan's Upper East Side it was Summer's end unlike Chambers most
of the young people at the bar were heading back to college young people full of Hope full of the
future young people like Jennifer Don Levin by all accounts Jennifer was bright and
ambitious having succeeded in the same types of schools where Robert Chambers had failed so miserably when did you
first meet Jennifer lover I believe the first time that I was ever introduced to
her was at a party describe Jennifer Levin tall dark hair pretty face funny laugh
smart compassionate some of her friends saying Jennifer found Chambers intriguing
wanting more of a relationship than he was really interested in so how many times did you did you go out with
Jennifer before that night in August three times I think three times yeah and you were intimate with her yeah she was
your friend um she was a friend to me I was not a friend to her I wasn't a friend to
anybody at the time not even to myself Jennifer Levin and Robert Chambers had arrived separately at dorian's that
night where they met by chance believe I looked over and I started sitting at the table with her friends
did she approach you or did you approach her no at first it was just kind of like
you know you know wave hey how you doing but something awkward and unexpected came up Chambers was dating another girl
at the time and she was at the bar too when she saw him speaking with Jennifer Levin she grew angry confronted him and
stormed out the district attorney would later suggest that argument so upset chambers that it was a motive for murder
you know I wasn't angry I guess the best way to say that is so shallow at the time that
all right I lost her relationship well try something new okay you yelled at me sorry I'll move on
Chambers says he did not use cocaine that night but he had a few beers and two Tequilas and then around by 4 am
closing time he and Jennifer Levin would lead dorians together heading towards Central Park and we started walking and
we were talking and we ended up walking towards Fifth Avenue and we were near the museum
Chambers says when he told Jennifer he wasn't really interested in a serious relationship she scratched his face but
they then continued their walk into the park and what happened next we started fooling around we never got
undressed undressed and she reached down and she grabbed my testicles and you know in
just a couple of seconds you know talking fooling around the whole bit she squeezed and between the squeeze and
possibly the nails it hurt and in pain shock even anger I reacted sat up I swung my arm and I hit her
how hard I would have to say hard I made her fall to the side I made her fall off of my body
where did you hit her Robert in the throat area in the throat area yeah and when she fell
did she fall silent I don't remember any sense you speak again after she fell to the ground no
at what point did you know she was dead well I stood up and try to gather myself together
and she wasn't moving and I was saying let's go let's get out of here it's time to go let's go
she didn't move her eyes were open and I knew something was wrong I didn't get down I
didn't listen for the heartbeat I didn't get down I didn't do CPR I didn't do any
of the things that a responsible person would have done if this was an accident Robert why
wouldn't you call somebody why wouldn't you call 9-1-1 call an ambulance call the police if this was an accident if it
wasn't your fault it was my fault but if it was an accident why wouldn't you call
an ambulance why wouldn't you call the police because I was scared the shattered night still hung over New
York Central Park Jennifer Levin lay dead and Robert Chambers inexplicably stayed there
staring at the young woman he told us as he is always insisted he killed by accident
[Music] I've never seen a dead person before her eyes are open and she's not moving
and I was just scared I didn't do anything I just sat there as Dawn broke Chambers remained at the
crime scene sitting quietly on a stone wall only a few feet away a woman on a bicycle
noticed the silhouette of Jennifer Levin's body soon the police and an ambulance arrived
I watch as everybody arrived it seemed the whole world arrived the whole world came to see what I did
police started clearing the crowd and eventually he got to me and they said you go move the police told you to leave
yeah they told me to leave after you killed Jennifer Levin you want him you got undressed and you went to bed
and you slept I think I slept I don't know if I slept you know how callous and unfeeling that sounds
do you know how callous and I'm feeling it feels no no you don't but I do for the rest of my life
could Jennifer Levin's death have been an accident chat now on Twitter and Facebook
foreign detectives arrived at the crime scene in Central Park on the morning of August 26
1986. they found Jennifer Levin's partially clothed body under a large elm tree it looked like she had been in a fight
for her life cuts and bruises marked her body and around her neck were bright red
hemorrhages indicating strangulation body was lying on the ground some of the clothing on her had been pushed to the
upper portion of her body the medical examiner estimated the time of death at approximately 6 a.m about
two hours after Jennifer Levin left dorians with Robert Chambers I never intended for anything to happen
I never even tended to go out that night let alone hurt somebody kill somebody when police showed up at Chambers home
later that morning they were stunned at his appearance he had deep scratches on his face and arms and injuries to both
hands Chambers first told police that the family cat had scratched him but under questioning at the precinct later
that day he changed his story you know saying I'm interested in other people and that you're going away and I
don't want to be bothered and doubt and she just she's like got up and knitting off in front of me and she just
scratched my face and I had these marks and I didn't even notice until this morning the injuries you sustained
indicated a struggle he had deep scratch marks on your face what happened she became upset about one thing
and the one thing was that I did not take her seriously and with that she scratched me
it's your time you should scratch her face and then you decided to still have sexual relations with them it
wasn't that doesn't sound it was not looking you know that it wasn't done because I
hate you I wasn't happy but I mean was I in a rage no I wasn't in a rage during the interrogation Chambers would
go on to tell detectives that Levin tied his arms behind his back with her panties
definitely in the park she hit me like how did she molest you you see we're talking about what girls girls cannot
girls the media would call it rough sex and it would become Central to Chambers defense
you're a big guy yep you could have defended yourself without hurting her seriously I could have
pushed I could have yelled I could have pulled her hair to the side why didn't you do any of those things because I
wasn't thinking about what I should do in the situation if you sought medical attention
they could have saved her it's very possible and this is something that will be in my mind forever would it have made
a difference I don't know would it have helped me sure the police precinct is 50 yards away why
didn't you go there why didn't I do so many things I was scared I froze when you hear all these experts say it
just couldn't have happened the way you're describing it certain experts the District Attorney's experts it's very
clear from the medical examiner's evidence and from from the Pathologists that you choked Jennifer 11. it wasn't
just a Split Second you had your hands around her neck and you squeezed no I did not I don't know
the cuts and bruises she didn't sustain from any talk any discussion like that the bruises that she sustained came when
I struck her you've done your time and this is the moment to set the record straight
and this is your story yes this is the story you'll die with yes and my story has not changed
there is nothing to change it's not a story that's Pleasant it's not a story people like
it's not a story that fits into people's perceptions you know why because it's not a story
the truth but according to the evidence in this case says Linda ferrstein who prosecuted
Chambers nothing could be further from the truth she didn't believe Chambers in 1986 when she first heard his version of
how Jennifer died and she doesn't believe him now how would you characterize Chambers
claim that there was no struggle that night I characterize it as ludicrous and completely incredible Fair Stein studied
the pattern of wounds determined by the medical examiner to be strangulation marks on Jennifer's neck they were lines
long lines going in different directions every pathologist who looked at them told me clear indications of repeated
applications of force so many marks on the neck that it's completely inconsistent with one blow
Jennifer Levin had wounds and bruises all over her body far too many according to fairstein to believe Chambers story
that she died from a single blow to the neck he would literally have her and I don't mean to ridicule this bouncing
down a hill in the park to have to have received all of these injuries it's just
a an absurd story and ferstein says those scratches on Chambers are more evidence of a violent confrontation than
the heated argument he describes this is the left side of his face there's one deep severe scratch Mark and Jennifer
had Nails there's another long Mark here there's smaller ones a long one a long one going in different direction again a
different direction behind that another one what does that tell you she was doing that tells us that she was face to
face with the person who was trying to kill her that tells us that she wanted him off her body that tells him as she
wanted him to stop to let go of her to let her breathe and she she was frantically fighting for her life and on
chamber's hands photographed the day Jennifer was killed ferstein says you can see bite marks she believes Jennifer
bit Chambers when he put his hands over her mouth to stop her from screaming Chambers argues he did nothing to help
Jennifer after he noticed she wasn't moving because in his words I was scared I froze I don't buy it he's never
reported to his friends that he froze fairstein says Witnesses talk to Chambers while he was sitting on this
stone wall watching the police that morning as they worked the crime scene around Jennifer's dead body and when
they said should we do something to help he said now there's nothing to do the police are handling it and then he got
up and walked away and went home and went to sleep I don't call that freezing what do you call that I call that
complete sociopathic behavior and fair Stein believes Robert Chambers hasn't changed very much despite all the time
he spent Behind Bars is it possible that maybe he thinks now that maybe he does really have remorse he's older and he's
done 15 years of hard time he's done 15 years of hard time made harder because of his own drug abuse in state prison
I'm not willing to buy his words I'm looking forward to seeing what his actions are in the next 15.
foreign [Music] Chambers murder trial had all the electric buzz of a New York City media
event the newspaper columnists were dissecting your entire life sure just as they will when they see this
they will look at every time I move my thumb if I jiggle my leg if I sit forward if I
lean back they're going to look for it the plea bargain required that Chambers admit in court that he intended to harm
Jennifer Levin something he had and always continues to deny on March 25th 1988 Robert Chambers pled
guilty to manslaughter one and for the first time I had to take responsibility for this
but you didn't want to oh if I could have you know jumped in an airplane and flown to the Moon I would
have done it he would be sentenced to 5 to 15 years in prison it's rough it's dangerous it's scary
how were you treated inside by the other inmates um I think in the beginning it was more
hands-off I think everybody just watched to see how I would act you were never sexually assaulted no
were you ever assaulted physically no your entire 15 years Chambers says the older inmates taught
him the ropes but how he actually did his time cut straight to the heart of his story and perhaps his character and
the question of whether or not Robert Chambers will ever stay out of trouble 27 disciplinary violations
for everything from weapons possession drugs possession assault dissipating direct orders you know when you hear
this you're thinking this guy hasn't learned anything he hasn't learned a single thing
and you know and had you been a model prisoner people would have maybe believed you had changed maybe you had
learned something that what this demonstrates to folks is that you hadn't Chambers says many of the
charges were minor even trumped up but because of his poor disciplinary record he'd spend more than four years in
solitary confinement you read you write letters do a lot of thinking the plumber from
the paralegal course I had taken Chambers did take college courses even making the Dean's List criminal law
94-98 and he claims to have beat one Habit in prison that he found impossible to shake on the streets you're clean
sure you are clean yes I am how long 93 94. I smoke marijuana in jail this is a stupid thing to do wrong choice
I did heroin No Coke no but this inmate misbehavior report from Greenhaven prison shows that on June 19
1997 a corrections officer found heroin hidden in chamber cell so when it was time for Chambers to face
the parole board they were unimpressed with his efforts at Rehabilitation particularly when eight years after
Jennifer Levin's death Chambers appeared anything but remorseful I want to read to you what you told them okay I guess I
could give the party line and say I have learned my lesson but that's not how I feel at the moment reading this it
sounds like you're arrogant you're a flip and you know what in many of those instances that you just said you're
probably right probably arrogant probably angry Robert Chambers is trying he says to get
on with his life he has a girlfriend someone he met after his arrest in 1986 and has supported him
ever since she didn't want us to show her face or divulge her name but she says that
Chambers has learned now how to be a friend she stood by you for 15 years yes she
has were you surprised yeah did you ever say why in a roundabout way but sometimes you
don't want to push your luck I don't think it's too bad out today there are some people who say that
young women aren't safe to be around you but you're a threat that you're a dangerous charmer should women be afraid
of you no there's no reason to be he claims to have no money of his own he says he wants to earn a college degree
and find Steady work it doesn't matter if it's a restaurant Car Wash whatever it may be just
something to feel normal and something to be responsible that's the only way you can start one
step at a time what are you willing to do anything Chambers owes the Levin Family
25 million dollars the result of an uncontested civil suit and if he lands a job any job ten percent of his pay goes
to the levans for the rest of his life do you plan on writing a book or participating in a movie deal I have no
plans to write a book I do not want to write a book and I have no interest in any type of movie deal my I have not
made any money off this my family and my friends have not made any money off this
none of us ever intend to is is Robert Chambers sincere about turning his life around has he really changed what little
we saw of him Robert Chambers appeared measured and sober his mother Phyllis setting the tone
this is not a time of Celebration you told me no why not I do not feel celebrate Robert's homecoming
and Jennifer is never coming home it's a sad time this is real life this is real death
somebody's dead there has to be some action after the words my action of doing 15 years
no that's just the beginning it's not an end the trial didn't end the trial of lives with me every day
I'm on trial [Music] in 2004 the year after our interview Robert Chambers was arrested and charged
with possession of a controlled substance and driving with a suspended license preppy killer Robert Chambers
walked out of criminal court today to face yet another gaggle of reporters he pled guilty and spent 100 days in jail
three years later Chambers was arrested again he and his girlfriend were charged
with selling drugs out of their apartment Robert Chambers was allegedly selling enough cocaine out of his 17th
floor apartment to put the so-called preppy killer away for Life his girlfriend pled guilty to a lesser
charge and was sentenced to five years probation Robert Chambers pled guilty in exchange for a sentence of 19 years
his earliest release date from prison is in 2024 Jennifer Levin's mother he got more time
in jail for selling drugs than he did for murdering my daughter which is pretty amazing
elevens have never accepted any apology from Robert Chambers this year Jennifer would have been 48 years old
[Music] do you think Robert Chambers can stay out of prison when he's released chat
now on Twitter and Facebook [Music] Juliana she was like a magnet to a lot of men
the DNA was all female this was a whodunit there was no DNA who shot Greg I have my assumptions
we're really screwed cbsn live news streaming to you cbsn CBS News always on [Music]

"48 Hours" broadcasts the only interview with "Preppy Killer" Robert Chambers. Watch more full episodes of "48 Hours" on Pluto TV.

Crime. Social justice. Impact. "48 Hours" investigates the most intriguing crime and justice cases that touch on all areas of the human experience including greed and passion. "48 Hours," which premiered in 1988, has developed a rich history of original reporting and impact journalism that has helped exonerate wrongly convicted people, caused cold cases to be reopened and solved, and along the way changed lives.

Brief Summary

Robert Chambers reflects on killing Jennifer Levin, claiming it was accidental, while discussing his troubled life and the aftermath of the crime.

Key points

Chambers' Release. After 15 years in prison, Robert Chambers is released but still haunted by his past.
The Preppy Murderer. Robert Chambers becomes infamous for the murder of Jennifer Levin in 1986.
Chambers' Confession. Chambers admits to killing Levin but claims it was an accident.
The Trial. Chambers pleads guilty to manslaughter after a tumultuous trial.
The Crime Scene. Jennifer Levin's body is discovered in Central Park, revealing signs of a violent struggle.
Chambers' Struggle with Guilt. Chambers reflects on his actions and the consequences of his past. "I wasn't thinking about what I should do."

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

Am I a monster? No.

2:50WatchSep 12, 2023

Tension

75/ 100High tension

More from 48 Hours

Solve the Crime

Read a real case one clue at a time, then see how your call held up against the investigators.