January 8, 2008 17:26

Former Ramones' manager murder motive details emerge

Linda Stein's assistant allegedly stole thousands before killing

More details have emerged about a possible motive behind the alleged killing of former Ramones manager Linda Stein by her assistant Natavia Lowery.

Lowery, 26, is accused of murdering 'realtor to the stars' Stein at her Fifth Avenue apartment in October 2007, after apparently hitting her repeatedly with a yoga stick.

Lowery reportedly confessed the murder to police, saying Stein “just kept yelling” at her. She is pleading not guilty to murder.

New reports today allege that Lowery was stealing from Stein for months before the murder, withdrawing tens of thousands of dollars using her boss’s ATM card, and possibly sent the money to her boyfriend in Virginia Beach. The man is the father of Lowery’s unborn child.

Police now believe the theft is a possible motive for the murder and have enlisted a financial forensic analyst full time from its fraud division to the murder case, says the New York Post.

Lowery also used Stein’s card in the days after the murder, buying herself tickets to Virgina Beach and used Stein’s name to try to open more accounts.

--By our New York staff.
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