Husband on trial in the killing of an SI teacher said he was “angry and upset” about her child support payments and child support demands, an investigator testifies

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Alleged spousal murderer Michael Cammarata was so enraged by his estranged wife's demands for custody of their two children, as well as child support and alimony, that he said he “felt like he wanted to kill her,” a man said Detective from trial.

Cammarata, 45, said he was “angry and upset” over Jeanine Cammarata's divorce papers, which “demanded more money than he was making as a postal worker,” Detective Michelle Mazza said in Cammarata's murder trial in St. James' state Supreme Court. George out.

In fact, Cammarata, 45, said he hit his wife “multiple times” in the chest and shoulders and pushed her onto a table as they argued at their New Brighton home in the early hours of March 31, 2019, Mazza continued testified Tuesday and Wednesday.

However, he denied killing the 37-year-old victim, the investigator said.

“He said she was alive when he left the scene,” Mazza said.

But prosecutors claim Cammarata lied.

Cammarata and the victim never had the post-sex argument in their home that he claimed, prosecutors allege.

That's because Jeanine Cammarata, a teacher, was already dead, prosecutors allege.

Cammarata and his girlfriend, Ayisha Egea, killed the victim hours earlier, late in the evening of March 30, Assistant District Attorney Timothy Richard said in his opening statement Tuesday.

The victim drove to Queens to meet her husband and Egea near their apartment but never returned home, Richard and Assistant District Attorney Adam Silberlight allege.

Prosecutors allege that license plate readers and toll records contradict Cammarata's statements about his whereabouts and his visit to the victim's home.

However, under cross-examination, defense attorney Mario F. Gallucci introduced testimony indicating that someone other than Cammarata drove his wife's vehicles for several days after the murder.

In his opening statement, also on Tuesday, Gallucci said Egea killed the victim and the unsuspecting Cammarata “panicked” afterwards.

Cammarata was the meal ticket for 44-year-old Egea and her six children, who had run into financial difficulties before the defendant moved in, Gallucci said.

And she wouldn't lose any of his income through a divorce, he said.

Both Cammarata and Egea were charged with murder, tampering with evidence and concealing a corpse.

Authorities found the victim's charred remains in a warehouse in Arden Heights on April 4, 2019. Cammarata had rented the storage unit where the body was discovered, prosecutors allege.

Egea is tested separately from Cammarata. Your trial date has not yet been set.

Mazza testified for about 90 minutes on Tuesday and Wednesday.

On April 2, 2019, she was assigned the case to investigate the disappearance of Jeanine Cammarata. Jeanine's boyfriend had reported her missing.

Michael Cammarata told investigators that he did not kill his wife, Jeanine Cammarata, pictured; The defense claims it was his girlfriend Ayisha Egea.

Mazza's investigation led her to interview Michael Cammarata, who had agreed to leave his job at the U.S. Post Office on Varick Street in Manhattan to speak with detectives.

Cammarata told her that he and Jeanine married in 2014 and had two children, Mazza said.

They separated in 2017 and he was given custody of their children.

Cammarata said his wife introduced him to Egea, a friend, and encouraged her into a relationship, Mazza said.

During the interview, Cammarata told investigators that his wife drove to Queens on March 30, 2019, around 10 p.m.

He and Egea met her in a supermarket parking lot and got into Jeanine's car, Mazza said.

They talked for about two hours and argued a little about “what was in the (divorce) papers,” detective Cammarata recalled.

The defendant had been served with the documents several days earlier.

“He said he was upset and angry that he had to pay so much money, more money than he earned,” Mazza testified.

Still, Cammarata said he and Egea eventually left Jeanine, got in their car and drove home.

During the interview, Cammarata also spoke about his actions in the following days.

Mazza told him that his account did not match the information collected by license plate readers.

These records showed the movement of the two vehicles registered to Jeanine – a Chevy Cruze and a Chrysler minivan.

Cammarata said he primarily used the van and Jeanine drove the Chevy.

After she confronted him, Cammarata changed his story several times, Mazza testified.

The defendant eventually said he went to Jeanine's house after they met in Queens. He said they had sex and then argued about their divorce filing, Mazza said.

Cammarata said he became angry and hit his wife several times and pushed him to the ground.

Afterward, Jeanine said, “Thank you very much for that,” Mazza testified, quoting the defendant.

The implication was that she would use violence against him in the divorce proceedings. He said he left after that.

Based on his statements, Mazza arrested Cammarata and accused him of attacking Jeanine in her home.

However, he was not charged with murder. The police did not know at the time that the victim was dead.

During a search of his backpack, investigators found the victim's identification and one of her credit cards, Mazza said.

While authorities say the license plate readers caught Cammarata in a lie, Gallucci tried to point out in his cross-examination that some of that information also helps the defendant's case.

License plate readers show the minivan was driven in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island at various times on April 2, when Cammarata was either working or speaking with detectives in Manhattan.

Additionally, the detective testified that a license plate reader showed the Chevy Cruze at the Commodore Barry Bridge at 8:50 p.m. that evening.

At that time, Cammarata was interviewed.

The bridge is south of Philadelphia and connects Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

In response to Gallucci's questions, Mazza testified that the Cruze ended up being in Pennsylvania.

She also said she knew Egea had a child with a man who lived in Pennsylvania.

Mazza said she knew from another detective's report that Egea contacted that person.

However, she didn't know if Egea had spoken to this person about the murder.

The prosecution's case continues on Thursday.

Judge Mario F. Mattei presides.