"The Two Mr. Kissels": The Timeline

THE DEATH OF ROBERT KISSEL (Click each movie image for a more details)

1998

The Trouble Begins

2000

Moving On Up

March 2003

Back to America

Summer 2003

The Other Man

August 2003

Poisoned Scotch

November 2, 2003

The Pink Milkshake

November 2, 2003

Robert's Demise

November 5, 2003

Discovering the Body

December 2003

Custody Battle Begins

Summer 2005

The Murder Trial Begins

August 1, 2005

Nancy Takes the Stand

September 1, 2005

The Verdict

2004

Fighting for the Kids

2008

The Verdict Stands

The Death of Robert Kissel

• Robert Meets His Wife

1987: Robert Kissel meets future wife Nancy Keeshian. The pair begins dating. Return to top

• Getting Hitched

1989: Robert Kissel marries Nancy after living together for two years. Return to top

• Humble Beginnings

1991: Robert graduates from New York University. Nancy worked several jobs to support her husband’s business plans. According to Nancy, she suspected Robert was abusing drug during this time. Robert takes a finance job with Lazard Freres in New York. Return to top

• Off to China!

1997: Robert, jumps to the Goldman Sachs Group and ends up relocated to their Hong Kong offices. He takes Nancy and their two daughters overseas. Return to top

• The Trouble Begins

1998: According to Nancy, Robert become incensed when she refused to induce labor to fit the birth of their son around his travel schedule. She claims that Robert attempted to hit her, although the blow hits a wall instead. Return to top

• Moving On Up

2000: Robert is hired by Merrill Lynch with a big-time gig that pays over $3 million yearly. According to Nancy, during this time, his substance abuse leads to increasingly violent behavior, including sexual attacks. Return to top

• Back to America

March 2003: The SARS epidemic influences Robert to send his family to their vacation house in Vermont to wait out the epidemic. Return to top

• The Other Man

Summer 2003: Nancy supposedly begins a romance with Michael Del Priore, a man hired to install the Kissels’ home theater system. Robert has P.I. keep tabs on Nancy and uses computer spyware which revealed her looking up the terms “sleeping pills,” “drug overdose,” and “heart attack.” Return to top

• Poisoned Scotch

August 2003: Kissel’s private investigator receives a call from Kissel claiming that his wife is poisoning his single-malt scotch. Return to top

• The Pink Milkshake

November 2, 2003: Family friend Andrew Tanzer and Robert Kissel are served pink milkshakes by their daughters. The milkshakes have been prepared by Nancy. Tanzer returned home feeling ill. Return to top

• Robert’s Demise

November 2, 2003: Robert Kissel dies from a lethal blow to the head after being struck with a statue belong to Nancy’s grandmother. His widow claims to have killed him in self-defense. Others believe she poisoned her spouse with the milkshake and bludgeoned him afterwards. Return to top

• Discovering the Body

November 5, 2003: Robert Kissel’s body is found in his apartment building by some maintenance men; it was wrapped in an oriental rug. Return to top

• The Custody Battle Begins

December, 2003: From prison where Nancy awaits trial for Robert’s death Nancy Kissel writes a notarized declaration saying that Andrew Kissel, Robert’s brother, should not be allowed supervision of her children. Return to top

• The Murder Trial Begins

Summer 2005: Nancy Kissel’s murder trial takes place in China and captivates the country. Return to top

• Nancy Takes the Stand

August 1, 2005: Nancy Kissel claims that years of abuse and sexual degradation by her husband caused her to consider taking Roberts’ life. She claimed to have no recollection of any events following the first blow to her husband’s head. Prosecutors paint Nancy as a cheating spouse looking to gain control of her husband’s finances. Return to top

• The Verdict

September 1, 2005: A Chinese jury deliberates for only 8 hours before returning a guilty verdict in the murder of Robert Kissel. Nancy Kissel is sentenced to life imprisonment. Return to top

• Fighting for the Kids

2004: Robert’s kids are sent to live with Nancy’s parents, but the burden is too much. Andrew Kissel and his wife, Hayley petition the court and are granted temporary custody. Return to top

• The Verdict Stands

2008: After an appeal citing procedural trial errors, Nancy Kissel’s guilty verdict is upheld by the courts. Return to top