Bryan Smith/ZUMAPRESS.com, MCMULLAN CO/SIPAUPDATE: On Tuesday, Jan. 4, Brooks pleaded not guilty to the charge.
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Nicholas Brooks has gone from a short stay at Soho House to a possible lifetime in the big house.
The 24-year-old ex-boyfriend of swimwear designer Sylvie Cachay, who was found dead in her room at the exclusive Manhattan hotel, has been indicted on one count of second-degree murder, according to court documents released Monday.
Brooks was previously arrested on attempted murder and strangulation charges. The New York City Medical Examiner ruled Cachay's death a homicide last week, stating that she had been strangled and drowned.
Her body was discovered in an overflowing bathtub after guests in the room below hers at Soho House reported a leak. There were marks on Cachay's neck, according to investigators, as well as pills nearby, but the coroner is still awaiting the results of toxicology tests.
Cachay's family has said that she and Brooks were broken up at the time of her death, but they appeared to be staying at the hotel together. Witnesses have said that they saw Brooks leaving and returning more than once on the night in question.
Brooks' attorney, Jeffrey C. Hoffman, said last week that his client told him he was out having drinks before returning to find police in their room, and that when he left Cachay, she was "absolutely fine."
Brooks plans to plea not guilty, Hoffman told the The New York Times. He's due in court tomorrow.
Second-degree murder carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.