Black man confesses to killing woman found in suitcase, authorities say

A black man arrested in connection with the death of 28-year-old Betty Williams, whose body was found in a suitcase, has confessed to bludgeoning her with a frying pan and strangling her with an electrical cord, authorities said. Hassan Malik, 55, was arraigned on one count of second-degree murder, according to Manhattan District Attorney spokeswoman Joan Vollero. Shortly after Williams' body was discovered, police released a surveillance video that showed a man dressed in a dark knit hat and leather jacket, pulling a suitcase that contained Williams' body near a stoop in East Harlem, New York. Malik originally told police that he found Williams dead inside his apartment, but later he recanted the statement and confessed, according to the criminal complaint. The New York Medical Examiner's office said Williams had suffered, among other injuries, blunt force trauma to her head and asphyxiation, the complaint said. Malik was being held on $100,000 bail and could face 25 years to life in prison.