Did victim stab himself? Freeze-framed images pivotal as jury deliberates in Staten Island manslaughter case

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — As jurors assigned to the Carlos Rivera manslaughter trial begin their deliberations on Monday, there are two things they’ll have to consider.

The first is whether it was Rivera’s knife that ended up in the heart of Joel Badillo, 41, of Stapleton, on the afternoon of June 17, 2024. Or did Badillo unintentionally stab himself with his own knife as the two men fought in the street?

If jurors decide it was Rivera’s knife that killed Badillo, the next question is whether the violent scene that afternoon on a commercial block on Broad Street was an act of self-defense.

Rivera, also a Stapleton resident, is facing charges of first-degree manslaughter, criminal possession of a knife and tampering with evidence. The top count alone carries a sentence ranging from eight yea