Accused Central Park killer gave chilling confession in beating of homeless artist

Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News on Oct 1, 2026

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NEW YORK — The accused killer of Elise Bainbridge Hill gave a chilling confession to police, claiming the beloved Central Park homeless artist hit him with a stick first, which he then grabbed and beat her with more than 20 times “until she couldn’t hit me anymore,” according to court documents filed Thursday.

The disturbing account emerged as Jonathan Robles, 36, was arraigned for murder at a Manhattan Criminal Count proceeding he attended remotely from his hospital bedside.

A witness discovered Hill, who also went by the name Lee Rogers, early Sunday by a gazebo close to The Ramble and Central Park Boathouse near East Drive and East 74th Street. The 63-year-old was lying lifeless with a head injury and cuts all over her head and hands, according to the complaint. The witness also saw pieces of a stick near Hill that appeared to be covered in blood.

Robles turned himself in later Sunday and confessed to the killing, identifying the victim in a photo and telling members of the Central Park Precinct Detective Squad, “She hit me on my body with a stick, so I took the stick from her. I hit her with it more than 20 times. I did it until she couldn’t hit me anymore,” according to the complaint.

Robles, who was hospitalized after the incident, was on Thursday held without bail by Judge Sheridan Jack-Browne, who also ordered he undergo a psychiatric evaluation. Prosecutors said they had secured an indictment from a grand jury and that Hill’s accused killer would next appear in court Oct. 13.

Robles lives in a transitional housing facility in Hell’s Kitchen, police previously said.

Hill was living in the park after renting an apartment nearby on East 76th Street, where the landlord tried to evict her.

The artist was fondly known to many in the bird-watching community who frequent The Ramble and was the subject of a documentary, “Begging Naked.” The film documents her experience running away from home as a teen to escape an abusive father and falling into prostitution and addiction and mental health issues.

Hill ultimately went to rehab, where she learned to paint, sculpt, make dolls and design jewelry, according to the documentary.

Despite her profound struggles with poverty and addiction, the devoted artist was unwavering in her dedication to her craft, painting enchanting scenes of the wildlife in Central Park in works she often sold to tourists.

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