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NYPD to Open Probe Into 1982 Murder of Manhattan Housewife Gail Mark

By  Murray Weiss and James Fanelli | October 7, 2015 7:07pm 

 Gail Mark
Gail Mark
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Family of Gail Mark

MANHATTAN — The NYPD will reopen its investigation into the unsolved 1982 murder of a 28-year-old housewife after DNAinfo New York exclusively reported a bombshell development in the case.

Gail Mark was found strangled and repeatedly stabbed in the bedroom of the Murray Hill duplex she shared with her multimillionaire husband, Franklin Mark, who police had long eyed in the killing.

Franklin Mark, now 64, was never arrested or charged with the murder, and has denied any involvement.

But DNAinfo New York reported Wednesday that his sister claimed “it was common knowledge” in her family that Franklin Mark “was responsible for the death of Gail Mark in 1982," according to an affidavit filed in Manhattan Surrogate's Court last month.

READ DNAINFO'S EXCLUSIVE STORY ON THE GAIL MARK MURDER.

The NYPD’s Manhattan South Homicide Squad will be tasked again with taking a new look at the three-decades-old slaying, sources said. That squad originally investigated the case.

Gail’s mother, Rita Fitzgerald, was ecstatic when told the NYPD was reopening the case, and pledged to help detectives any way she could.

“I think it’s marvelous,” Fitzgerald, 82, said. “If they can possibly do anything to bring her killers to justice, that would be wonderful.”

Franklin Mark did not return a call seeking comment. 

His sister, Ann Boyarsky, made the revelation as part of a legal fight over their mother's $23 million estate.

Franklin and Gail Mark had a daughter, Dawn, who was 3 at the time of the murder. The killer, who was wearing the toddler's "E.T." mask, had locked her in the bathroom during the 1982 attack. 

Retired Detective Mike Abruzzi, who was the lead detective then, told DNAinfo that investigators immediately suspected the killing was a crime of passion.

Gail's body was found with a pillow over her face, which was a sign that the murderer likely knew his victim and felt remorse, Abruzzi said.

“And it wasn’t flattened,” he continued, meaning that it had been placed there and not used as a murder weapon.

Dawn, now 36, also declined to comment until the litigation in Manhattan Surrogate's Court was resolved.