Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of death and bombing. Reader discretion is advised.
Dateline NBC plans to re-examine the gruesome bombing case that killed Ildiko Krajnyak in 2018. As the investigation progressed, authorities found that her ex-boyfriend, Stephen Beal, was responsible for the explosion. Titled “Death at the Spa,” the episode would come out with details about the case and tell viewers how the police solved it. The episode will air on the network on Friday, February 9, 2024, at 9 p.m. ET.
According to NBC Los Angeles, the explosion happened when Ildiko Krajnyak decided to open a cardboard box next to spa’s front desk. The outlet also indicated that the explosion was powerful and killed Krajnyak instantly. After hearing the news of the blast, Stephen Beal contacted the authorities and told them that he and Krajnyak were “business partners.” Although Beal was arrested shortly after the explosion, he was not named as a suspect in the bombing case. Nearly ten months after the explosion, police finally apprehended Stephen Beal for the murder of Krajnyak.
Authorities charged him with multiple felonies, including the use of a weapon of mass destruction resulting in death. The trial started in 2022, and the prosecution claimed that “jealousy” and “revenge” were the primary motives in this case. Unfortunately, the jury failed to reach a guilty verdict and noted they were “deadlocked.”
As per Associated Press, the jury deliberated for seven days, after which the judge declared it a mistrial. Subsequently, the second trial began in 2023. The jury found him guilty of four felonies and sentenced him to life in prison, as per ABC7 Los Angeles. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Stephen Beal is currently serving his sentence at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles.
Magyar Kozmetika spa bombing case explored
In May 2018, Ildiko Krajnyak lost her life in an explosion that took place at the Magyar Kozmetika spa. NBC Los Angeles reports that the blast was so powerful that authorities found human remains outside the destroyed building. The outlet also mentioned that the officers arrested Beal after a security video showed him buying a similar kind of battery used in the device that caused the explosion. Beal pleaded not guilty to the charges. Even though the prosecution shared this evidence during the trial, the defense claimed their client was a “rocket hobbyist.”
As mentioned above, the judge declared the first trial a mistrial because the jury failed to reach a verdict. Subsequently, a second trial took place in 2023, and the prosecution and investigators reiterated that Stephen Beal killed Ildiko Krajnyak for having another relationship. According to the Los Angeles Times, the prosecutors said that apart from being a rocket hobbyist, Beal had access to the spa. He also had sufficient knowledge of electronics and chemistry that made the prosecutors believe he could build a bomb. The prosecution team also claimed that he once built a bomb to destroy a gopher.
After a four-week trial, the jury reached a decision and found Beal guilty of four felonies, per CBS News. The court sentenced him to life imprisonment on two counts. Meanwhile, he received sentences on the other two counts as well. Citing the judge, CBS News reported that Beal wanted Krajnyak dead and thought slaying her was the best way to take revenge. The judge said, “He wanted her dead simply because she didn’t want to continue their romantic relationship. The defendant apparently decided revenge is a dish best served cold.”
Stephen Beal is currently serving his time in prison.
