Did 'Milkshake Murder' Victim's Brother Put Hit on Himself?

April 5, 2006 — -- Police are searching for a motive in the stabbing death of Andrew Kissel -- the brother of an investment banker poisoned and then beaten to death in Hong Kong in what became known as the "milkshake murder" -- and some are asking whether Kissel may have put a hit on himself so that his family could collect on his life insurance policy.

Movers found the 46-year-old's body in his basement Monday, bound, hooded, and stabbed to death.

"This was not a random act," said James Walters, chief of the Greenwich Police Department. "We do believe that Mr. Kissel was the intentional target of this assault."

In 2003, Kissel's younger brother, Robert, was given a sedative-laced pink milkshake, then bludgeoned to death by his wife, Nancy. The so-called "milkshake murder" drew international attention.

When Nancy went to jail for life, her children came to the United States to live with Kissel, a real estate mogul. At that time, though, Kissel was already facing big problems, accused of embezzling almost $4 million from his New York City neighbors and defrauding banks and investors in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey.

His wife, Hayley, mother of their two children, filed for divorce in March 2005. Police said Hayley was one of many people they'd interviewed so far.

"We have spoken to her, and she's been cooperative and answered our questions at this stage," Walters said.

His attorney, Phillip Russell, acknowledges Kissel had plenty of enemies.

"People were upset with him certainly because he took their money," Russell said. "But that doesn't by itself get people killed, and not killed in this manner."

New York tabloids have speculated Kissel may have put a hit on himself so that his children could collect on a $10 million life insurance policy.

Andrew's father, William Kissel, told ABC News he felt numb. He described his mental state as comparable to a fighter who goes in a ring and gets hit over and over again. After awhile, he doesn't feel any pain.