The Murder Book 2008

July 24th -- 1 dead in Brooklyn...

Damien Sharp, a 28-year-old black male, was found early Thursday lying on the street at Midwood Street and Kingston Avenue, Brooklyn, with several gunshot wounds to his body. He was taken to Kings County Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Police report the suspects were seen leaving the scene in a white Ford van. No arrests.

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Police yesterday made an arrest in last week's shooting death of Lamont Mackie, a 25-year-old black male, killed on East 37th Street in the East Flatbush section of Brooklyn, according to police reports. Also wounded in the gunplay was Marilyn Simmons, 45.

Arrested and charged with murder is teenager Charles Springer, 17, of 286 East 39th Street, Brooklyn, according to police.

 

 

 

July 22nd -- 3 dead, including retired NYPD sergeant in Staten Island...

Jason Aiello, a white male and a retired NYPD sergeant, was shot to death Tuesday morning in Staten Island after Aiello allegedly fired at NYPD officers who were responding to a "man with a gun" call to 911, according to a story in the Daily News.

Aiello reportedly was under investigation in connection with the murder of his boss Louis Antonelli, a jeweler and former friend. Two other men were indicted for murdering Antonelli but, according to what sources told The News, Aiello was being investigated as well.

Officers reportedly knew Aiello and one of them called him by name, ordering him to drop his gun. Instead, he fired, according to the News, and was shot in the head in front of his wife and three young children who earlier had escaped from the house.

At least one investigator told the News that Aiello's murder was "suicide by cop" and that he knew precisely what would happen when he fired upon responding officers.

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Odell Turner, a 31-year-old black male, was found dead, shot once in the chest early Monday at the corner of Nostrand Avenue and Midwood Street in Brooklyn, according to a police report. He was pronounced dead at the scene. No arrests.

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Kenny Smith, a 17-year-old black youth, was shot to death Monday in the Louis Pink Houses in the East New York section of Brooklyn, after he reportedly dared his shooter to pull the trigger, according to a brief in the Daily News.

Smith, according to the News, told the shooter to "do it" after he pulled a gun on the teen. The shooter unloaded on Smith, hitting him multiple times before running off. 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.

 

 

July 21st -- 2 dead & arrest in Staten Island stabbing...

Henry Showard, a 45-year-old black male, was stabbed to death last Thursday with a screwdriver inside his Staten Island apartment, and yesterday police announced that they'd arrested Ruth "Grandma" Wade, a 64-year-old acquaintance who has a history of violence and drug arrests, according to a story in the Daily News.

Wade, who had been living Showard and his wife in their Stapleton partment, allegedly stabbed Showard in the neck after having an argument with him and his wife.

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An unidentified 44-year-old black male was found shot once in the head last Thursday in front of 1533 Sterling Place in Brooklyn, according to police reports. He was pronounced dead at the scene. No arrests. 

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July 20th -- 2 dead, boy killed by hit & run driver in Brooklyn...

Rondell Grant Jr., an 11-year-old black youth, was killed early Saturday by a hit and run driver in the East Flatbush section of Brooklyn, according to stories in the Daily News, the NY Post and NY Times.

Rondell was at the home at 505 East 43rd Street for a summer grill-out with family and friends. Rondell was near a van used by his mother when three cars sped by. After the second one zoomed by, Rondell stepped out to take a look and was struck by the third car. It kept going but the alleged driver of the third car -- 19-year-old Naquan Mandry -- was later arrested and charged with leaving the scene of an accident that resulted in death, according to the Times story. The car was parked in Mandry's driveway, and had suffered obvious damage to its front bumper and windshield.

An aunt told The Times: “We were all outside having a good time. I heard a skid like tires, then I heard a bang. It sounded like two cars colliding. Then I heard crying, so much crying. His brother stood over him and kept yelling, ‘Rondell, get up!’”

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Interesting story in the Daily News about the mothers of Patrick Hernandez and Karon Lenihan, one of whose sons was murdered by the other. Lenihan is charged with killed Hernandez with a shotgun blast in broad daylight in Far Rockaway. Hernandez was flanked by his brother and both had just finished cleaning a local beach. Hernandez had graduated high school weeks earlier and was headed for an upstate college this fall.

As the News story notes, there is anguish on both side with both mothers describing their sons in nearly identical terms. Lenihan's mother said her son was working two jobs and was not a street kid despite an earlier arrest for drug possession. Odd and sad.

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Spencer Parris, a 39-year-old male who was shot to death by an NYPD police officer in an upper East Side building last week, had a history of mental illness and may have been committing "suicide by cop," according to what sources told The Daily News.

Parris would not drop his knife despite pleas by officers who confronted him in a narrow hallway of the building where he lived on East 83th Street in Manhattan Thursday night.

After coming toward the officers, Police Officer Micah Adler, a 10-year-veteran, shot Parris once. Parris reportedly had spent the hours before the encounter drinking at a local bar, Ship of Fools. His girlfriend reportedly told officers that Parris was taking medication for a bi-polar disorder.

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July 17, 18 & 19th -- 3 dead, including teenager in Brooklyn & investigation goes on in murder of Marine Park couple...

Police continue to investigate the murders of Christina Petrowski-Schwartz and her husband Mark Schwartz, both found shot to death earlier this week in their home in the Marine Park section of Brooklyn. At the top of the list of people being investigated, according to stories in the Daily News and NY Post, are a former buisness partner, and Christina's son from a previous marriage.

The News reported that detectives have visited with Robert Delvicario, a former U.S. Customs official and former business partner of the dead couple, but he has retained a lawyer and refused to talk to police, according to the News story. There reportedly was bad blood between the couple and Delvicario because the Schwartz's believed Delvicario was embezzling money from a joint real estate project. The Post reported that Delvicario and his wife are nearly $1 million in debt and it was Mark Schwartz task to try to recover some of that money.

The stories also reported that police are looking closely at Christina's son from a previous marriage, Nick Petrowski. He was once arrested on a minor drug charge but neighbors mentioned to cops that several weeks ago the dead couple posted an odd sign in the window of their home which read: "Don't Come Home."

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Bertrand Jocelyn, a 17-year-old black youth, was shot once in the head Friday evening as he sat on a bench outside the Sumner Houses in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, according to a story in the Daily News.

Jocelyn is yet another in a stream of teens who've been shot to death since May in or around public housing projects. He had recently received his GED and hoped to attend college, according to his father Louis, a Haitian immigrant.

Louis told The News: "Please don't use the word 'dead.' My heart is broken. There is no answer to this. He was just hanging with a friend. We don't know why this happened."

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Wily Singletary, a 43-year-old black male, was found shot to death Thursday evening at Sterling Place and Rochester Avenue in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, according to briefs in the Daily News and NY Post. He had been shot once in the head and died at the scene. No arrests.

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Lamont Mackie, a 25-year-old black male, was shot and killed early Thursday morning on East 37th Street in the East Flatbush section of Brooklyn, according to police reports. Also wounded in the gunplay was Marilyn Simmons, 45. Police have no motive as to why someone fired at the couple. No arrests.

July 16th -- 4 dead, including couple shot to death in their Marine Park home...

Mark Schwartz, a 50-year-old white male, and his wife Christine Petrowski-Schwartz, a 48-year-old white female, were found shot to death in their bedroom in Marine Park, Brooklyn early Wednesday, according to a story in the Daily News. (photo Daily News)

The bodies of the well-liked couple -- both of whom were lawyers -- were found by their cleaning lady on the second floor of their home on East 33rd Street in Brooklyn after the woman had already cleaned the ground floor. She reportedly ran out of the house and called 911. According to the News story, the cleaning woman yelled: "They're dead - they're both dead."

A neighbor told the News: "Why would anyone want to do this to them? They're such good people, very loving people."

The investigation is at an early stage and there was no motive for why the couple was shot.

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An unidentified 19-year-old Russian immigrant was beaten to death with a cue stick early in a Brooklyn pool hall Tuesday morning after he reportedly got into an argument with a group of men, according to a story in the Daily News.  

The murder occurred at Boardwalk Billiards in the Brighton Beach section of the borough. The victim was taken to Lutheran Medical Center in critical condition, and died shortly after. No arrests.

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Mustafa Oumaria, a 23-year-old Nigerian immigrant, was shot to death Tuesday night outside his home on Albany Avenue in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, according to a brief in the Daily News.

Oumaria was shot four times by a lone gunman who has not been captured.  The News reported that Oumaria worked in a clothing store, and was single and quiet.

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 7th -- 1 dead in Brooklyn...

Yemina Smith, a 30-year-old black female, was stabbed multiple times early Sunday inside a building at East 22nd Street and Clarendon Road in the Kensington section of Brooklyn, according to a brief in the NY Post. She was taken to Kings County Hospital where she died sometime later.

Police arrested Habika Hickman, 30, a neighbor of the victim and charged her with second-degree murder; a brief in the Daily News reported that the two had had a long-running feud. She'd allegedly stabbed the unidentified woman repeatedly with a sharp object.

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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 6th -- 6 dead over holiday weekend....

Zeanie White, a 21-year-old black woman, was shot to death and four others were injured early Sunday after someone opened fire at a backyard grill-out to celebrate the 4th of July weekend, according to police reports and a story in the Daily News.

The shooting broke out around 1 a.m. Sunday outside 969 Gates Ave. in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn. White's brother collapsed at the scene after he heard his sister had been hit. "I want to see my sister!" he said. "That's my only sister!"

There was no indication of why someon began shooting. No arrests.

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Kidson George, a 26-year-old black Army Reservist who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, was shot to death on July 4th at a party in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, according to stories in the Daily News and NY Post.

George, who traveled to his hometown of Brooklyn from Fort Dix in New Jersey for the holiday weekend, was standing on the porch of a house on East New York Avenue with his new girlfriend when the woman's ex came by the house. According to witnesses interviewed by The News, the ex-boyfriend fired a couple of rounds, killing George, and wounding another partygoer before jumping into a waiting car and driving off.

The witness told The News: "He saw them together, grabbed his gun and shot him. He said nothing at all; no warning, no anything."

The girlfriend was not hurt. No arrests.

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Charles Pena, a 29-year-old Latino male, was stabbed to death and two of his teenage friends were in critical condition last night after they were attacked early Saturday by a mob at Ashford and Liberty Streets in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, according to a story in the Daily News.

No arrests, no motive. The father of one of the wounded teens told The News: "I know they have problems around here. These kids can't find jobs, so when they're hanging out, things like this are going to happen."

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Kenneth Powers, a 27-year-old black male, was shot outside the Sheepshead Bay Houses in Brooklyn early Saturday morning after a fight broke out at a party, according to the same News story. Powers was taken to Lutheran Medical Center where he later died.

Powers' relatives told The News that he was having an ongoing fight with another man about the paternity of Powers' girlfriend's baby. Powers' mother Evelyn told a reporter: "Wow, how could you have somebody killed over a baby? It's unreal."

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Garfield Nelson, 33, and Wayne Burnetter, 29, were killed early Saturday morning when a car they were riding in smashed into a carpet store on Rocakaway Blvd., Queens, according to a story in the Daily News.

Stephen Bush, 28, of Far Rockaway, lost control of his 2005 gray Cadillac sedan near Brookville Blvd. in the Rosedale section, and was later arrested and charged with first-degree vehicular manslaughter, driving while intoxicated and driving while impaired.

Nelson's mother told The News that he was a devoted father to his two young children. "He was just a very nice boy. Very helpful. A great son," she said. "He loved his family. We're all very close."

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.