In a shocking and tragic incident that has sent ripples through New York’s elder care community, a 95-year-old woman, Galina Smirnova, stands accused of murdering her 89-year-old roommate, Nina Kravtsov, at the Seagate Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Coney Island, Brooklyn. The case, which unfolded over a single harrowing evening, has raised profound questions about nursing home safety, the placement of vulnerable dementia patients, and the duty of care owed to some of society’s most fragile members.
According to a criminal complaint cited by USA Today and ABC News, the events began on Sunday, September 14, 2025. At 8:55 p.m., nursing home personnel entered room 333 and found Kravtsov “alive and asleep in her bed,” with nothing appearing amiss. An hour later, at 9:55 p.m., a witness entered the same room to a horrifying scene: Kravtsov was non-responsive, covered in blood, and bore gash marks on her face and head. The witness also observed Smirnova in the bathroom, washing her hands in the sink, her hospital gown and legs smeared with blood.
Detectives responding to the 911 call at 10:27 p.m. found a wheelchair in the room with both foot pedals removed. One pedal, covered in blood, was discovered on the floor inside the room, while the other was found outside under a window. Investigators believe that one of these foot pedals was used as the weapon in the attack, inflicting fatal injuries on Kravtsov. The medical examiner later confirmed that Kravtsov had suffered facial, head, and skull fractures and was pronounced dead of blunt force trauma at 5:39 a.m. the following morning.
Video surveillance footage reviewed by investigators showed no other individuals entering or exiting the room between the staff’s hourly checks, except for a brief visit by medical personnel. This evidence, combined with the physical findings, quickly linked Smirnova to the crime. She was arrested on Tuesday, September 16, and arraigned the following day on charges of second-degree murder and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Smirnova has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bail at Rikers Island, with her next court appearance scheduled for Tuesday, September 23.
The circumstances of the case are as complex as they are tragic. Smirnova, herself 95 and reportedly suffering from dementia, had only been admitted to the Seagate facility 48 hours prior to the incident. According to family attorney Randy Zelin, she was placed in the same room as Kravtsov because both women spoke Russian—a seemingly innocuous decision that now faces scrutiny. The rapid placement of a new, cognitively impaired resident alongside a frail, long-term patient has raised concerns about the adequacy of assessment and supervision protocols within the facility.
Nina Kravtsov’s life story adds another layer of heartbreak to the tragedy. Born in a small town in Ukraine, Kravtsov survived Hitler’s invasion and the horrors of the Holocaust. “She ended up in a ghetto with a number of her other family members. She was designated for a concentration camp but ended up, by the grace of God, not ending up in the concentration camp,” Zelin told ABC News. After the war, she worked as a nurse, married young, and gave birth to a daughter, Lucy. Widowed at 19, Kravtsov raised her daughter alone and in 1979 emigrated to the United States, settling in Brooklyn’s “Little Odessa” neighborhood in search of a better life.
Five years ago, Kravtsov suffered a stroke and, on her doctor’s advice, moved into Seagate Nursing and Rehabilitation Center to receive the extra care she needed. For her family, the facility was supposed to be a place of safety and comfort. “You have this woman who has survived the Holocaust and has beaten the odds. She is supposed to be cared for and protected and looked after ... and instead she ends up with her head and face bashed into the point that she was unrecognizable,” Zelin said, expressing the family’s devastation and outrage.
In the aftermath of the attack, Kravtsov’s family has voiced frustration and disappointment with the nursing home’s response. According to Zelin, the family received only an initial report from Seagate about the incident and have not been offered an apology or further information. Both the facility and Smirnova’s court-appointed attorney have declined or failed to respond to media requests for comment.
The case has ignited debates about the challenges of caring for elderly patients with dementia, especially in communal settings where residents may have vastly different needs and histories. The decision to pair two elderly, Russian-speaking women—one with advanced dementia, the other a stroke survivor—was likely made with the best intentions of fostering companionship. However, the tragic outcome has exposed potential gaps in risk assessment, staff training, and the physical security of vulnerable residents.
While incidents of violence in nursing homes are rare, they are not unheard of, particularly among populations with high rates of cognitive impairment. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (not referenced in the immediate case but relevant for context), nearly half of nursing home residents in the United States have some form of dementia, and behavioral disturbances can pose significant risks when not properly managed.
The legal process for Smirnova will unfold in the coming weeks, but the broader questions raised by Kravtsov’s death are likely to persist far longer. Advocates for elder care reform are already calling for increased oversight, better mental health screening, and more robust staff training to prevent similar tragedies. For Kravtsov’s loved ones, however, the focus remains on seeking justice and honoring the memory of a woman who survived the worst of the 20th century, only to lose her life in what her family calls a “senseless act of violence.”
As the case moves through the courts and the investigation continues, many in Brooklyn and beyond are left grappling with the sobering reality: even in places designed for safety and care, vigilance and compassion must never be taken for granted.
