Frederick Wilkerson had been a sage to some of the music industry’s biggest stars in 1980, including Roberta Flack and Maya Angelou. But then someone silenced his voice forever.
Two men entered Wilkerson’s Upper West Side home in April 1980 and strangled him to death in a murder that shocked and horrified those who knew the beloved coach with a soul that was as kind as his soulful sound.
More than 44 years later, the Wilkerson murder remains unsolved — and today, a beloved friend of the victim is working with an NYPD detective to solve this long-lasting cold case.
Carlos Gueies-Bonilla was once one of Wilkerson’s students, made the unfortunate and grim discovery of finding his mentor dead on that dark day in 1980 — something which he can vividly recall still today.
“The minute I opened the door it was like walking into a meat locker, the temperature had chilled,” Gueies-Bonilla recalled to amNewYork Metro. “He had a bruise above his right eye, a bruise about the length of my index finger. His lips were purple. And I took his pulse, he was cold.”
Gueies-Bonilla said he had been staying with Wilkerson at the time, who he says his friends affectionately called Wilkie, came back after a night out. It wasn’t until the next morning that he realized something was wrong and made the heart-wrenching discovery.
According to Gueies-Bonilla, two men came knocking the night prior and were let inside by another houseguest. This was not an uncommon occurrence; Wilkerson had often entertained many visitors. But the men who came to visit Wilkerson that evening had intentions that were far from common.
Gueies-Bonilla never forgot his dear mentor or the trauma of that day and carried it with him decades until he was able to reach Detective Robert Deckert of the Cold Case Homicide Squad, who took it upon himself to delve back into the case. Gueies-Bonilla says Deckert dived deep into old records and evidence that the NYPD feared had been destroyed by years of storms and flooding.
“He said: ‘I found every bit of the records and they’re intact.’ I remember just swooning,” Gueies-Bonilla recounted. “He interviewed me on a second occasion as to the contents of it. And by the end of it, we were on the phone for like, an hour and 45 minutes.”
Inside the records, Detective Deckert found two artist renderings from the 1980s depicting the suspected killers.
“The sketch was actually done around the time of the incident,” Deckert told amNewYork Metro. “We’re just hoping someone was around at the time and recognize them from the neighborhood. This happened in 1980, but they might have been around the neighborhood, they might still be there, you know. So, someone might say, oh, I’ve known that person for my entire life.”
Deckert is a no-nonsense detective who says he has an unparalleled drive to solve the mystery no matter what it takes.
Fully realizing that with 44 years having come and gone since the murder took place, he knows that it is possible the perpetrators may no longer be around. Still, he believes Wilkerson and his loved ones deserve to get justice and resolution for the cold-hearted killing.
“You always want someone to pay for things they’ve done in the past and have justice for the family, the victim themselves,” Deckert said. “We don’t forget about the victims.”
Despite the long passage of time, police are asking anyone with any information regarding Wilkerson’s death, who he was involved with in his final days, or if anyone recognizes the sketches to come forward and, use their voice for Wilkerson one last time.
If or when the mystery is solved, Gueies-Bonilla told amNewYork Metro that it would be the greatest day of his life. If the killers happen to be reading this, he has a message for you.
“Shame on you. If you did this for money then you will pay dearly, in the pits of hell, and if you did it for any other reason, then a bigger shame on you, because you’re still alive and he’s dead,” Gueies-Bonilla said.
Anyone with any information regarding Wilkerson or his death is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS(for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (formerly Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
