Background: News footage of the Miami Beach, Fla., condo where Justin Zelin fell to his death on Feb. 15 (WPLG). Inset (left): Corey Hutterli (Miami-Dade County Corrections and Rehabilitation). Inset (right): Justin Zelin (Facebook).
A Florida man is facing charges of second-degree murder after his friend tragically fell from his 25th-floor balcony. Corey Hutterli, 37, has been accused of causing the death of 35-year-old Justin Zelin, who plummeted from the balcony of Hutterli’s apartment at the Akoya Condominium on February 15th.
According to legal documents reviewed by Law&Crime, Zelin made a 911 call at 10:20 a.m. on the day of the incident. During the call, Zelin was heard demanding that Hutterli leave his apartment. The call abruptly changed as dispatchers picked up on “a clear sound of a struggle,” and Zelin’s communication with them ceased.
The complaint reveals that Zelin was heard repeatedly saying, “Get away from me, Sasha” — using Hutterli’s nickname. The call remained connected while Zelin pleaded for Hutterli to exit his apartment, but his voice was not heard again after the apparent altercation.
Authorities reported that condo surveillance captured the moment Zelin’s body struck the ground at approximately 10:30 a.m. Police arrived swiftly, discovering Hutterli outside in a visibly agitated state, apparently having exited the building hastily and without his shoes. Allegedly, Hutterli questioned the officers, saying, “What’s going on? Somebody… he freaked out, attacked me.”
When officers inquired if Hutterli had been alone, he responded, “No, I don’t know where he is. I kept telling him to relax.” He then claimed Zelin had gone to the elevator when asked about his whereabouts.
However, the police report highlighted inconsistencies in Hutterli’s account. Despite his assertion that he left the apartment when instructed by Zelin, surveillance footage indicated that Hutterli exited the apartment just one minute after Zelin’s body was seen falling to the ground.
When police searched Zelin’s apartment, they found it to be in “disarray” with the balcony doors open. On the balcony were Hutterli’s sandals and blood on the railing. Throughout the apartment, police found tufts of beard hair that was determined to belong to Hutterli. While executing a search warrant at the apartment later that night, investigators found Hutterli’s backpack, which also contained tufts of his beard hair, a find that police alleged was an attempt to “retrieve and conceal evidence from the scene.”
Investigators also allegedly found ketamine in Hutterli’s backpack.
Hutterli invoked his right to counsel after he was brought to the police station for an interview. Detectives said they observed cuts and lacerations on Hutterli’s hands, redness and scratches on his arms, and patches on his face where it appeared chunks of his beard were pulled out.
Months later, Hutterli’s DNA was allegedly matched to the blood found on the balcony railing; the blood found on Hutterli’s clothing was allegedly matched to Hutterli and Zelin.
Hutterli was arrested on Wednesday and charged with second-degree murder and burglary with assault and battery. He is being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where his bond has not yet been set. His next court date was not available.
During a court appearance on Thursday, Hutterli’s defense attorney told the court, “There is no eyewitness to any alleged act that caused the decedent’s death. No statements or admission from Mr. Hutterli acknowledging any criminal conduct, no direct evidence establishing how or by whom the fatal injuries were inflicted.”
