Cold Case Files: "The Shopping Cart Killer"
Podcast: Cold Case Files (A&E / PodcastOne)
Host: Paula Barros
Release Date: November 25, 2025
Episode Overview
This episode of Cold Case Files investigates the chilling case of Aaron Key, later known as the "Shopping Cart Killer" of East Harlem, New York. Over nearly a decade, Key preyed on young girls and women, committing at least three murders and multiple rapes. The episode details the police investigations, the forensic breakthroughs, and the complex manhunt that ultimately led to Key’s arrest and conviction. Listeners follow the detectives' pursuit, the failures and breakthroughs, and the devastating aftermath for victims’ families and the community.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Discovery of the Shopping Cart M.O.
- Key's Method: Aaron Key transported victims' bodies in shopping carts, camouflaging them as laundry. He disposed of them in stairwells, rooftops, and parks around East Harlem.
Quote: “‘What he would do is take the body and put it in a black plastic bag and then put the bag inside of a shopping cart. And then he would just walk around the neighborhood until he found whatever building it was that was going to suit his purpose that day.’”
(B, 00:42 & 39:52)
The First Victim: Paola Ira (1991)
- Case Details: 13-year-old recent immigrant Paola Ira disappears after buzzing into her apartment building. Her body is found on a footpath along the FDR Drive, stabbed and strangled with indications of sexual assault.
- Investigation: Detectives Dugan and Bertini pursue theories including a stalker and scrutinize multiple suspects but all leads dry up.
Quote: “She wasn’t a street child. So now you’re totally confused because she wasn’t out. How did this happen?”
(A, 03:01) - Physical Evidence: Single pubic hair recovered; suspect initially only known as "Aaron Warford" is never properly interviewed.
Quote: “I went back there probably six times. Each time there was no answer at the door. I would leave my card. So that was one individual that I definitely wanted to speak with but never had the opportunity.”
(C, 04:37)
The Second Victim: Johalis Castro (1997)
- Case Details: 19-year-old Johalis Castro’s burning corpse is found on a Harlem rooftop. Investigation establishes her identity via jewelry and dental records.
- Suspect Emerges: Investigators find calls from Castro’s phone to a Cynthia Key—her son, Aaron Malik Key, surfaces as a person of interest with a criminal history.
Quote: “One of the first remarks that he made was something to the effect of, ‘Wow, that’s Johalis. What a damn shame. Look how pretty she was.’”
(D, 12:53) - Dead Ends: Despite Key being a clear suspect, lack of physical evidence allows the investigation to stall.
A New Pattern Emerges: Rashida Washington (1998) and the DNA Link
- Case Details: 18-year-old Rashida Washington is found dead in her building; cause of death is asphyxiation by chest and neck compression, with signs of sexual assault. Semen is recovered.
- Breakthrough: Forensic scientist Karen Dooling matches DNA from Washington’s case to an unsolved rape, then links three additional unsolved rapes in the area.
Quote: “[Detectives] said, ‘Maybe we’re missing something. Maybe it could be something staring at us right in the face and we’re missing it.’”
(D, 15:12) - Composite Sketch & Neighborhood Nicknames: Residents identify the suspect as “Ace” (Aaron Key/Warford), nicknamed “Chester the Molester.”
- Physical Evidence: Sweatshirt at rape scene traceable to Key’s mother’s dry cleaning tag cements suspicion.
Building the Case: Surveilling Key and the DNA Chase
- Surveillance Efforts: Detectives track Key, seeking discarded DNA (cigarette butts, soda bottles), but Key evades them.
- Fortune Strikes: Key is arrested for larceny. Detectives collect his saliva from Styrofoam cups in his cell after a failed TB test ruse. DNA from the cups matches the rape and Rashida Washington cases.
Quote: “If he spits on the sidewalk, get out with a paper towel and try to sop it up. If he throws a cigarette butt away, get that. …Whatever we have to do to get something that's going to yield a DNA sample.”
(B, 25:21) - Chilling Callout: As police close in, Key taunts detectives over the phone, alluding to their failed DNA attempts.
(B, 30:05)
Manhunt and Arrest in Miami (1999)
- Manhunt: After going on the run with his 16-year-old girlfriend, Aaron Key is finally tracked to a hotel in Miami. SWAT team arrests both without incident.
- Interrogation: Seven-hour interview yields no confession until girlfriend Angelique Stallings is permitted a visit; Key then confesses to all crimes in a moment of emotion.
Quote: “‘She says to him, what did you do? And he blurts out admissions about every single thing. All of the all three murders and the rapes.’”
(B, 36:48)
Forensic Climax and Trial
- DNA Matches: Key's blood, saliva, and hair tie him conclusively to the murders and rapes; particularly, pubic hair from the Paola Ira crime scene matches through mitochondrial DNA.
- Trial Tactics: Key composes a wild conspiracy defense, alleging he was framed in a black market organ scam, using a filthy T-shirt “full of notes” as a prop.
Quote: “Key tells the jury he was framed to cover up a massive black market organ scam...He asked the judge if it would be possible for him to step off the stand and...refer to his notes.”
(A, 41:15) - Prosecution: DA Richard Plansky calls Key “the closest thing to pure evil that I’ve ever seen.”
(E, 44:25)
Verdict and Aftermath
- Outcome:
- Guilty of Rashida Washington’s murder (Life in prison)
- 25 years to life each for the murders of Johalis Castro and Paola Ira
- 475 years for four rapes
- Further Connections: In 2002, Key’s DNA is tied to an additional 1994 rape; 20 years added to his sentence.
- Legacy: Detectives and prosecutors express satisfaction that Key was removed from the streets — but ponder how many more victims there may have been.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)
- On Key’s M.O.:
“He had a horrendous reputation over there that they would call him Chester the Molester.” (B, 20:45) - On forensic frustrations:
“If you haven’t solved the case within 72 hours, stop, go back and start over again. Which is what I did countless times with this case. I went back and I reread all of the reports and I just couldn’t see it. I wish I had seen it back then.” (C, 06:42) - On pure evil:
“There are a lot of labels that might apply to him...But the bottom line for Aaron Key is...he’s evil. He is a person who enjoys inflicting pain on children.” (E, 44:25) - On their duty:
“There’s a saying, we work for God because a homicide victim can’t speak for themselves. So you, as a homicide investigator, are there to speak on behalf of that person.” (D, 43:21) - On Key’s trial defense:
“He asked the judge if it would be possible for him to step off the stand and remove his shirt, take off the T shirt so he could refer to his notes.” (E, 41:44)
Key Timestamps for Anchor Segments
- 00:42: Introduction of "Shopping Cart Killer” M.O.
- 01:06 – 07:05: Discovery and investigation of Paola Ira's murder.
- 09:39 – 15:12: Discovery/investigation into Johalis Castro’s death.
- 16:36 – 19:54: Rashida Washington’s murder and emergence of DNA links.
- 20:16 – 23:12: Connecting Aaron Key to multiple cases through evidence and witness reports.
- 25:21 – 28:31: Surveillance methods, pursuit of Key’s DNA.
- 32:33 – 34:10: Miami manhunt and Key’s arrest.
- 35:17 – 36:59: Interrogation and emotional confession to girlfriend.
- 38:08 – 41:44: Courtroom drama and Key’s conspiracy theory defense.
- 42:36: Conviction, sentencing, and the enduring quest for closure.
Concluding Thoughts
This gripping episode meticulously reconstructs the frantic investigation and methodical police work that brought Aaron Key, the "Shopping Cart Killer," to justice after years of terrorizing East Harlem. Through composite sketches, neighborhood rumor, evolved forensic technology, and sheer perseverance, each segment reveals both the limitations and breakthroughs of law enforcement in the 1990s. The story closes with Key incarcerated, more cold cases tied to him via DNA, and a profound sense of relief for a community haunted for nearly a decade by a singular evil presence.
This summary presents all critical developments and emotional moments, providing a complete understanding of the tragic saga of the Shopping Cart Killer — and the determination that finally brought him down.