The Murder Book 2008

July 14th -- 1 dead, young woman in the Bronx...

Saoni Casado, a 21-year-old Latina female, was stabbed to death early Sunday morning. According to police reports, Casado brought or was taken to Bronx Lebanon Hospital with stab wounds to her chest; she later died there from her injuries. 

Police later arrested Diana German, 20, and charged her with Casado's murder. Police reported that Casado and German had some type of dispute that led to the stabbing. German was arrested at home at 1665 Morris Avenue in the Bronx.

Saoni's friends put together this tibute to her on youtube.

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Read the full story behind the murder of dancer Catherine Woods, subject of my book "Death of a Dream," co-authored by CBS News correspondent Erin Moriarty. This is the behind the scenes story of Catherine's controversial lifestyle, the two men in her life, and the trial of Paul Cortez. Reviewers called the book: "compelling" and "a chilling good read." Available at bookstores under 'true crime' and online.

First chapter available free.

July 13th -- 5 dead, including 1 in an out of control dice game...

An unidentified 15-year-old black youth was shot to death Sunday morning at 2 a.m. in back of a building at 866 Boyland Street in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, according to police and media reports. Police say the teenage boy was shot in the chest and pronounced dead at the scene. It is yet another in a stream of teenagers shot to death in NYC this year.

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Lavar Ried-Paul, a 23-year-old black male, was shot to death Saturday morning as he sat on a bench at the Saratoga Houses in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, according to a brief in the NY Post. 

Ried-Paul was targeted by a gunman who walked up to the victim and shot him in the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene. No arrests.

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Donnie Debonish, a 43-year-old black male, was shot once in the head and twice in the chest Saturday after tempers flared at a dice game at 1757 Story Avenue in the Monroe Houses (I grew up at 1790 Story Avenue in the Monroe projects) in the Soundview section section of the Bronx, according to a brief in the NY Post.

 Debonish was declared dead at Jacobi Hospital. The other victim, 37, shot once in the arm, remained hospitalized yesterday. No arrests.

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An unidentified black male was shot to death Saturday afternoon inside a home in Jamaica, Queens after he shot his ex-girlfriend several times leaving her in critical condition at Mary Immaculate Hospital, according to briefs in the Daily News and NY Post. That male was then shot to death by a second male who was inside the apartment at the time.

The shootings occured inside 107-55 156th Street. Police were looking for the second shooter but have made no arrests.

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Unique Davis, a 22-year-old black male armed with a .38 caliber handgun was shot to death by police Saturday night after cops say Davis fired at the police, according to briefs in the Daily News and NY Post.

Davis allegedly fired at least four rounds at police, they said, before at least one of them fired back and hit him in the head. His weapon was recovered at the scene on Hancock St. in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, according to police.

A witness told the News he heard a lot of shots but it remains unclear how many bullets were fired by the police.

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July 11th -- 4 dead...arrest made in Patrick Hernandez murder case...

Patrick Hernandez, an 18-year-old black youth, was shot and killed early Thursday in the crime-ridden Far Rockaway section of Queens, according to the Daily News.

On Friday afternoon, police arrested Karon Lenihan, 17, and charged him with Hernandez' murder.

Hernandez, an honor roll student who was to go to college at SUNY Cortland this fall, was shot to death by a thug who jumped out of a passing car, shouted "What now?" and pumped a shotgun blast into Hernandez' chest as his stunned 16-year-old brother looked on, the News story reported. The shooting took place in front of 249 Beach 15th Street at 10:30 a.m. after the brothers had just finished cleaning a neighborhood beach.

Ralphael Jones, Hernandez' brother, told the News: "He stumbled, ran a little bit and then fell down. I said, 'Pat, hold on, hold on.' I held his hand and said, 'Pat, I love you,' but he couldn't say anything. He was trying hard to breathe, and then he just passed."

Hernandez became at least the third teenager killed in Far Rockaway since May. Reportedly, the shooter was an area thug who'd been feuding with Hernandez.

Hernandez played on his high school football team and made a strong impression on coach Walter Wilkerson who told the News: "He was a good leader on the team and a good role model on the field. The other kids looked up to him. I thought he'd be someone who I'd see three or four years from now and say, 'Hey, this kid made it.'"

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Carlos Rios, a 17-year-old Latino youth, was stabbed to death Thursday evening after arguing with Jose Fuentes, 22, at 89th Street and Northern Blvd. in the Jackson Heights section of Queens, according to a brief in the Daily News.

Police say Fuentes stabbed Rios several times in the chest; the teen was taken to Elmhurst Hospital Center but died a short time later. Fuentes was arrested and charged with his murder.

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An unidentified female in her 50s was found bludgeoned to death Thursday in a building on Boynton and Watson Avenues in the West Farms neighborhood of the Bronx, according to a brief in the NY Post. Police arrested the woman who lived in the apartment, 49-year-old Ana Jurado. Reportedly, Jurado hit the unidentified woman several times in the head with a blunt object, and left her on the living room floor. She was discovered after neighbors complained of a foul odor.

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An unidentified 20-year-old Latino male was stabbed to death early Friday morning in front of 2301 Jerome Avenue in the Bronx, according to a police report. He was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. No arrests.

 

July 5th -- 3 dead, including father of four in hit & run...

Marvin Chamorro, a 42-year-old Latino male and father of four, was struck and killed by a speeding hit and run driver at 8:30 p.m. Thursday as he was crossing Castle Hill Avenue in the Bronx, according to a story in the Daily News.

Chamorro (photo left) worked as a butcher to provide for his family. His wife Carmen Martinez told The News: "He was a good husband and a good father. I hope they catch him (the driver). I just want justice. He left the scene - it's not right."

A deli worker who witnessed the accident said: "The car must have been flying. Life is so unpredictable. When your time comes, that's it." Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers at (800) 577-TIPS.

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Elea-cha Oliver Ragoo, a 3-year-old girl, died last Thursday after allegedly being shaken by her mother's boyfriend who was in jail on assault and child endangerment charges. A story in the Daily News reports that the charges are now likely to be upgraded since the girl's death.

The little girl spent two weeks on life support at Brookdale University Hospital after being admitted on June 21st. Anthony Merritt, 24, allegedly told police that he lost his temper while babysitting at his girlfriend's apartment in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn. He allegedly admitted to shaking the child five times, and hit her head on a faucet, according to the story.

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Kent Gonzalez, a 38-year-old black male, was shot in the chest and stomach early Friday at the corner of Church Avenue and East 17th Street in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, according to a story in the Daily News. He was taken by his friends to Kings County Hospital where he died hours later.

Police said they believed Gonzalez' friends had witnessed the shooting but were not cooperating with the police, according to the News story. No arrests.

July 3rd -- 1 dead, arrest & a tribute....

Olympia Peck, a 27-year-old female, was found stabbed in the chest inside her home on Fulton Street and East 172nd Street in the Bronx earlier this week, and police have arrested Angelique McClennahan, her roommate, and charged her in connection with the murder, according to a brief in the NY Post.

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The NY Times recently ran a lovely portrait of Michelle Hyams, a woman found murdered in her Chelsea apartment on June 9th. No one has yet been arrested for her murder but if you click here, you can read the poignant tribute. She sounds like one of those New Yorkers who make the city the great place it is.

June 29th -- 4 dead, including 15-year-old shot in Harlem...

Nathan Allsbrook, a 15-year-old black youth (photo left), was shot to death early Sunday on the corner of West 127th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem, according to a story in the Daily News.

Allsbrook was shot in the chest by an apparent stray bullet as he walked home from a party celebrating the end of the school year. He had just finished his second year at Rice High School.

His heartbroken grandmother Bertha told The News: "He was loving, he was kind, he was sweet, he was compassionate." No arrests.

His mother Cherise Smith told the newspaper: "I just want my son back, he didn't deserve this. He would have been at church today. I just wish I could wake and he'd be here again."

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Devin Ellison, a 20-year-old black male who had moved to Massachusetts to escape NYC's tough streets, was shot to death Friday afternoon after he'd returned to the Bronx to celebrate the graduations of his neice and nephew, according to a story in the Daily News. It is at least the 4th time recently that a NYC who had moved to escape violence was murdered when he or she returned to the old neighborhood.

Ellison, who was working construction in Massachusetts, had a confrontation with 17-year-old Anthony Samuels in the Bronx last Wednesday, and, according to Ellison's family, Samuels allegedly told Ellison he was going to come back and kill him. Reportedly, Samuels ambushed Ellison Friday and shot him in the head, torso and groin on Clay Avenue in the borough's Morrisania section.

Samuels was arrested and charged with murder and weapons possession.

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Ellison Butler, a 22-year-old black male, was shot to death Friday night while he stood on a basketball court with some friends, according to brief reports in the Daily News and NY Post.

Butler apparently was standing on the court near East New York Avenue when the bullet struck. He staggered to a nearby restroom while friends called 911. He was taken to Kings County Hospital where he died sometime later. No arrests.

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Samuel Harewood, a 17-year-old black youth and a student at Automotive High School, was shot to death early Saturday as he walked near his Flatbush home, according to a story in the Daily News.

An unknown gunman opened fire on Harewood and a friend as they were walking home just after midnight on East 21st Street in Brooklyn. Harewood was hit once in the chest and was taken to Kings County Hospital where he died soon after.

A neighbor told The News: "He's the baby of the family." No arrests and no apparent motive for the shooting.

June 26th -- 2 dead with gunshot wounds to neck...

An unidentified 35-year-old black male was found shot to death inside a grey 2005 Jeep Wednesday at the intersection of East 141st Street and Bruckner Blvd. in the Bronx, according to a police report. The victim had a gunshot wound to the neck and was pronounced dead on arrival. No arrests.

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Maximilian Campusano, a 33-year-old male, was found with a gunshot wound to the neck Wednesday in the 5th floor hallway of 20 Bogardus Place in the Inwood section of Manhattan, according to briefs in the NY Post and Daily News. No arrests.

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Read the full story behind the murder of dancer Catherine Woods, subject of my book "Death of a Dream," co-authored by CBS News correspondent Erin Moriarty. This is the behind the scenes story of Catherine's controversial lifestyle, the two men in her life, and the trial of Paul Cortez. Reviewers called the book: "compelling" and "a chilling good read." Available at bookstores under 'true crime' and online.

First chapter available free.

June 25th -- 5 dead in shootings and stabbings...

Five people were murdered in a 12-hour period in NYC Monday night into Tuesday morning, and it merited a story on page 28 of The News, a few briefs in the NY Post, and nothing in the NY Times. The bloody roll call includes:

Vincent Cruz, a 17-year-old Latino youth, was found shot to death early Tuesday in front of 205 Eldridge Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, according to a police report and a story in the Daily News. He had been shot one time in the head, and was pronounced dead on arrival at Bellevue Hospital. Sources told The News that the shooting may have been in retalliation for a remark Cruz made against someone's girlfriend earlier in the day.

Jonathan Diaz, a friend of Cruz, told The News: "He's too young. He didn't deserve that."

No arrests.

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Tynel Van-Kallen, a 22-year-old black male from South Carolina, was found stabbed several times in the neck and chest Monday night near Hughes Avenue and E. 181st Street in the Bronx, according to a police report. Van-Kallen, who was in the city visiting a cousin, was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital where he later died. Police arrested Jermaine Elston, 29, of the Bronx and charged him with murder and criminal possession of a weapon.

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Guillermo Rojas, a 24-year-old Latino male, was found stabbed once in the chest late Monday night in front of 87-33 112th Street in Queens, according to a police report. He was taken to Jamaica Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. No arrests.

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Christopher Cruz, a 19-year-old Latino youth, was found stabbed in the chest Monday night in front of 2190 Second Avenue in Manhattan, according to police report. He was taken to Metropolitan Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. No arrests.

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An unidentified black male was found shot to death early Tuesday morning inside 466 W. 150th Street in Harlem, according to a police report. He was pronounced dead on arrival at Harlem Hospital. No arrests.

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June 23rd -- 5 dead in separate arguments....

Larry Talley, a 23-year-old Latino male and father of a baby girl, was stabbed in the head and chest early Sunday morning after Talley came to the aid of a friend who was being beaten by a group of young men, according to a story in the Daily News.

Talley was trying to protect friend Carlos Garcia who was set upon by a group of men who had just left a club at 538 Claremont Parkway in the Bronx. The men turned on Talley and one or more stabbed Talley. He was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital where he later died from his injuries.

Talley had only become a father two months ago, according to the News article, and prided himself on being a doting father. He was working at the Hunts Point Fish Market, and saving money to get married.

His girlfriend Francis Hernandez was with Talley at the hospital when he died. She told The News: "His eyes were open. I gave him a kiss. I told him to come back - that his daughter and me needed him. But he didn't come back."

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Robert Leandry, a 28-year-old male, was shot to death early Sunday morning after getting into an argument with another man in a courtyard of the Jacob Riis Houses near E. 10th St. in the East Village, according to police and briefs in the NY Post and Daily News. No arrests.

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Kevin Macklin, a 41-year-old male, was shot to death early Sunday morning utside his home, at 112-02 148th St., in the Jamaica section of Queens, according to a brief in the Daily News. Macklin's foe left the sidewalk, but returned 15 minutes later with a gun, shot Macklin once in the face, then fled, said cops.

He was taken to Jamaica Hospital but died hours later. No arrests.

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An unidentified 20-year-old black male was found shot to death Saturday evening in front of 502 Cleveland Street in the East New York section of Brooklyn, according to a police report and a brief in the NY Post.The police said that the man was in an argument with another male when he was shot in torso. He was taken to Brookdale Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. No arrests.

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An unidentified 63-year-old white male died yesterday from a head wound he received on Friday in front of 415 51st Street in Manhattan, according to a police report. The man was taken to Roosevelt Hospital where he remained in critical condition until Sunday when he died from his injuries. An investigation revealed he'd been beaten, allegedly by Theodore Bonnemere, 50, of the Bronx, who was arrested and charged with manslaughter, police said.

June 22nd -- 2 young men dead....

Adolfo Gonzalez, a 25-year-old Latino male, was shot to death, after getting involved in an argument with a driver who had rear-ended the car in which Gonzalez was a passenger, according to stories in the NY Post and Daily News.

Gonzalez, a truck driver, was riding in a friend's black Acura when it was rear-ended by another car at the corner of White Plains Road and Morris Park Avenue in the Bronx. Gonzalez got out to look at the damage and got into an argument with driver Antoine Lewis whom he knew from the neighborhood, according to the News story.

Lewis and friends rode off but hailed a cab, and returned to the scene of the accident where Lewis allegedly shot Gonzalez several times. A gun was later found in the cab, and Lewis was later charged with second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon. Police were investigating whether the car accident was a ruse to get back at Gonzalez for some perceived slight.

The News caught up with Gonzalez' mother Maria Castillo, a special education teacher, who said: "He's the only thing I have. He was a very nice boy - a lovely boy. It's a shame what happened. I have a lot of questions, but I don't have answers to them."

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Darcy Antoine, a 19-year-old black male, was beaten to death on June 14th after leaving a party in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, and his parents and family are determined to find those who killed him, according to a story in the Daily News.

Antoine had left Brooklyn to play football at a college in Pittsburgh but had returned to attend a party. After it broke up, he and some friends had words with another group of young men and several of them stomped and beat Antoine.

Friend Marcos Flores was with Antoine when the fatal confrontation occurred. He told The News: "One of them said, 'What's up, your man spilled a drink on me,' and pointed at our friend. I tried to apologize to tell them it was an accident ... but they jumped us anyway. They came at us hard and they had us outnumbered. I saw six kids stomping on Darcy before they ran off. I grabbed him and said, 'Yo, Darcy, you all right?' He was looking right through me and he was twitching and coughing. And then he took one big breath and I knew he was gone."

Antoine's family has posted a memorial for their son at a blog affiliated with his university. To read more about this young man and his senseless death, please click here.