I'm basically going just on my gut instinct, but I believe that the person responsible for MVJD's murder is of Italian-American heritage, was in his 30's at the time (birth year between 1948 -1958), and possibly had family who owned a business in the industrial section of the city where MVJD was found. *If* he grew up or lived in Mt. Vernon, it was not in the immediate vicinity, as this area was never really residential.
I've attached a Google map of the area. I take public transportation through here every day, and Carleton is NOT visible from any of the main roads such as Route 22 aka S. Columbus or E. Sandford Blvd. The waterway to the east is the Hutchinson River, and east of that is the Hutchinson River Parkway. Carleton has to be one of the least known streets in the city, and I've been down similar, nearby industrial blocks like Miller Place, Bertel Ave., Canal St., Dock St. There is truly no way that someone unfamiliar with the area or even just vaguely familiar with it, stumbled across Carleton in the dark.
View attachment 82406