Pimp pleads guilty in killing, dismemberment of customer
PHILADELPHIA » A Philadelphia man whom police identified as a pimp has pleaded guilty to third-degree murder in the 2013 death and dismemberment of a longtime customer he had tried to rob.
Thirty-five-year-old Keith Tolbert apologized in court Friday to the family of the victim, 40-year-old Frank Zarzycki. A plea deal calls for a sentence of 22 to 44 years. He’ll be sentenced May 1.
Police say Zarzycki arrived at a Philadelphia apartment to have sex with two prostitutes when Tolbert, a nursing student working as a pimp, tried to rob him. Zarzycki fought back and was killed during the ensuing struggle.
Authorities say Tolbert used a hatchet to dismember the body. The victim’s torso was found in the Schuylkill River.
The women have pleaded guilty to conspiracy and robbery and await sentencing.