Man Charged in Drugging Death of Fashion Designer Kathryn Gallagher and 4 Others in New York City

Eleven months after fashion designer Kathryn “Katie” Gallagher, 35, was found dead in her New York City apartment, a man who police say is linked to four other deaths and numerous robberies has been charged.

Kenwood Allen, 34, is charged with second-degree murder in connection with her death, the New York Times reports. According to a statement from the Manhattan District Attorney, Allen is charged with five murders total. He faces 10 counts of second-degree murder (two counts for each victim,) 17 counts of robbery and attempted robbery, 11 counts of second-degree assault and additional charges. He has pleaded not guilty.

The New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner previously confirmed to PEOPLE that Gallagher’s cause of death was acute intoxication by the combined effects of fentanyl, p-fluorofentanyl and ethanol, and her manner of death was homicide.

Authorities believe her death was apart of a string of violent druggings that took place in Lower Manhattan in 2022 by assailants who robbed their victims.

Between March 18, 2022, and December 18, 2022, authorities claim Allen committed robberies and additional crimes in lower Manhattan “sometimes alone and sometimes with other individuals,” according to the DA’s statement.

“In most of the incidents, Allen drugged his victims with fentanyl and other opioids in order to steal their credit cards, watches, phones, and other personal identifying information,” the statement adds.

Sean Shirley, 36, is Allen’s alleged accomplice, the Times reports, but he is not charged in connection with Gallagher’s death.
Police claim Allen followed Gallagher home from a bar and offered her drugs, according to the outlet. The next morning, she was found dead in her apartment, NBC New York reports.

In her obituary published by Rhode Island School of Design, Gallagher was remembered as a skilled “painter and internationally-recognized fashion designer.”

She launched her eponymous fashion line in 2010 and had 26 collections that were featured in New York Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week. Her 27th line was in the works, and she hoped to debut it in the fall, her obituary states.

“Katie dressed cultural icons from Daphne Guinness to Lady Gaga, Rita Ora, and Laverne Cox. An icon herself, she also modeled for several fellow designers and labels,” the obituary added. “She was unique, beautiful, smart, unabashed, and always wanting. She was hardworking and talented, with so many ideas and plans for future projects. We are so proud of who she was and all she achieved in her brief but full and beautiful life.”

She leaves behind her parents, five sisters, a niece, her grandmother, and many extended “family members, friends, clients, and colleagues she met along the way,” according to the obituary.
Alexander Rudnitsky, Sadath Ahmed, Nurbo Shera and Ardijan Berisha are Allen’s additional alleged victims, the Times reports.

Shirley is facing second-degree murder charges in connection with the deaths of Ahmed and Rudnitsky, according to the outlet. He has pleaded not guilty.

In a separate ring of alleged drugging deaths, several people were charged in connection with the deaths of two men who authorities say were fatally drugged and then robbed after visiting gay bars in New York City.