Carlton Henderson, 54, has been identified as the man who jumped out of a New York restaurant freezer, attacked employees with a knife, then suffered a heart attack

The deranged man who jumped out of a Manhattan restaurant's freezer and attacked employees with a knife before dropping dead was awaiting trial for a double murder, police say.

The 54-year-old man has been identified as Carlton Henderson.

He had been charged with two counts of murder and released from jail on bail just four days before the restaurant incident.

He was charged in connection with the 1988 homicides of William Medina, 26, and Antonio Dos Reis, 22, in Boston.

The case went cold for years until a relative of Medina rallied for it to be re-opened, leading to Henderson's arrest in April 2017 and extradition to Boston.

Although he was initially held without bail, he was later released on his own recognizance on August 1, four days before the freezer incident, according to NBC. The Cave Creek, Arizona man was due to return to court on August 14.

He was charged in connection to 1988 homicides of William Medina, 26, (pictured) and Antonio Dos Reis, 22, in Boston and was due to return to court August 14

Massachusetts Judge Janet Sanders (above) released Henderson on bail on August 1 based on his own recognizance

In 2014 one of Medina's relatives approached Boston cold case Detective John Cronin to ask about the unsolved murders.

The two were shot while sitting in a parked car on May 7, 1988 and police believed their slaying was connected to a drug-trafficking ring in San Diego, court papers said.

Hendersen was indicted based on statements he made to Boston police during a 1993 interview, according to court records.

But Massachusetts Judge Janet Sanders ruled on July 31 that the statements couldn't be used against him as they were made under an immunity deal. She later released him on August 1 on his own recognizance.

Police identified Henderson saying he was charged with a 1988 double murder. On Sunday he jumped out of a restaurant freezer in Manhattan and tried to attack employees with a knife

Three days later on Sunday Henderson wreaked havoc when he snuck into Upper West Side eatery Sarabeth's Restaurant where he jumped out of the walk-in freezer, grabbed a knife, then tried to attack employees screaming 'Away, Satan! Away'.

After a wrestling match, staff were able to pin Henderson to the floor and remove the knife.

But soon after he lost consciousness then suffered a heart attack in the scuffle, according to the Times.

At the restaurant, when workers opened the door during the restaurant's brunch hour, the man began fighting with the frightened employees until they were able to finally restrain him.

Henderson, of Arizona, was inside the freezer at Sarabeth's Restaurant (pictured) on the Upper West Side and jumped out yelling 'Away, Satan! Away'

He was charged in connection to 1988 homicides of William Medina, 26, and Antonio Dos Reis, 22, in Boston and was due to return to court on August 14, the scene of his restaurant incident above

Police said the man suffered a medical emergency, later confirmed to be cardiac arrest, and he was rushed to St Luke's Hospital where he died.

The man 'made statements consistent with him being mentally unstable', cops said to West Wide Rag.

It's still unclear how the man ended up in the freezer.

According to the New York Post, he was staying at a hotel just three blocks away from the restaurant.

No one inside the restaurant was hurt during the incident. Following the attack, the restaurant closed, but they were still accepting delivery orders.

He suffered a heart attack during his scuffle with workers and later died in a nearby hospital

He was out on bail and was due to return on August 14, after being released on August 1