The Murder Book 2008

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 10th -- 1 dead and wife of cop charged with murder....

Alex McFarlane, a 19-year-old black youth, died Monday from injuries he suffered after being thrown from a speeding car on the streets of St. Albans, Queens on July 3rd, allegedly by Javier Morales, according to a report in the Daily News. McFarlane lapsed into a coma after the incident and was declared brain dead but his family kept him on life support long enough for his organs to be donated.

Morales, 22, was arrested and charged with McFarlane's murder after initially being charged with four counts of assault, according to the News report.

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Veronica Nickey, the wife of an NYPD officer, was arrested Wednesday and charged with murder for shooting Ellison Butler, a 22 year old male, because she felt Butler allegedly had groped her 13-year-old daughter, according to an exclusive report in the NY Post.

Nickey, 40, allegedly walked up to Butller as he watched a basketball game on June 27 in Lincoln Terrace Park in Crown Heights and pulled a .380-caliber handgun, according to the Post report.

The Post reported that she said: "That's what you get for messing with my children! That's what you get for messing with my daughter!"

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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.

June 30th -- 1 dead in car crash on Park Avenue...

Julie Tsang, a 17-year-old Asian female, was killed early Sunday when a car in which she was a passenger was hit by a truck at East 65th Street and Park Avenue in Manhattan, according to stories in the NY Post and Daily News.

Robert Gomez, 22, the driver of the truck refused to take a Breathalizer test, and was arrested at the scene and charged with DWI and criminally negligent homicide. The Post cited a source as saying Gomez "reeked" of alcohol.

Tsang had just graduated a few days before from Millennium High School in lower Manhattan, and was returning from a graduation party when the car she was driving in was hit. She had been planning to attend Hunter College in the fall.

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All three city newspapers -- the News, NY Times, and Post -- carried stories about the shooting death of 15-year-old Nathan Allsbrook who was hit by an apparent stray bullet in Harlem early Sunday morning.

Nathan's mother Cherise Smith told The Times: “I just want my son back. He didn’t deserve this. He would have been in church now. Everybody loved him. I loved him so much. I just wish I could wake up and he’d be here.”

 

June 10th -- 3 dead, including child killed while playing in spray from fire hydrant...

  M'mah Bangoura, a 6-year-old black girl, was killed Monday when she was run over by a car that struck her while playing at an open fire hydrant at East 166th Street and Sheridan Avenue in The Bronx, according to stories in the NY Post and Times.

It appeared to some that Bangoura was first hit by a minivan that did not stop but there are reports that a livery cab driver who scooped the child up and drove her to the hospital, may have been driving the car that hit her. It is also possible she was hit by two cars, according to the conflicting accounts.

Given the blazing heat in NYC, there were several children playing in the spray thrown off by the hydrant 

One witness told the Post that it's likely the driver's vision was impaired by the spray hitting the car's windshield. The livery cab driver, who was charged with driving without a license, was cooperating with the police.  

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An unidentified man believed to be in his 30s was found shot to death early Monday in the middle of the Van Wyck Expressway service road in Queens, according to a brief in the Daily News. The victim had a bullet wound in his back, according to the report. No arrests.

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Police continued to question the live-in boyfriend of Michelle Hyams, the 60-year-old white female (photo) stabbed to death over the weekend in her Chelsea apartment, according to a story in the NY Post.

Hyams' boyfriend Robert Campanaro, 61, was described by the Post as "an ex-con with a lengthy rap sheet." While he initially cooperated with the cops, he later became agitated at the continued questioning and broke a chair and window in an interrogation room, the story said.

He then requested a lawyer. A knife was recovered at the scene but sources told the Post that it appeared to have been wiped clean.

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An unidentified 21-year-old black male was shot in the head late Monday evening in front of 80 Osborne Street in Brooklyn, according to a police report. He was taken to Brookdale Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. No arrests.

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The heartbroken father of 3-year-old Kyle Smith, who was beaten to death allegedy at the hands of his godmother and her live-in boyfriend, has posted photos of the child on Myspace, according to the Daily News. It's not clear why Smith, Kyle's biological father, did not previously claim his child from Kyle's allegedly crack-addicted mother who handed the child over to his godmother.

NYC authorities continue to pour over their records to understand why obvious red flags involving the godmother did not alert social service workers. For instance, the godmother, who is only 30 years old, reportedly has four other children but no one apparently bothered to ask where those children were. If they had, they would have learned that the children allegedly had been taken away from the godmother by Texas authorities in 2003. At least someone was doing their job.

 

 

June 3rd -- 1 dead & family of Chelsea murderer speaks out...

Joseph Cesario, a 66-year-old white male, was struck and killed by an alleged drunk driver Sunday in the New Springfield section of Staten Island, according to a brief in the NY Post and a story in the Staten Island Advance.

Andrew Douglas, the 29-year-old driver of the of the 2008 BMW that struck Cesario, stopped at the scene where police allegedly found him with bloodshot eyes and alcohol on his breath, sources told the Post. He was arrested and charged with second degree manslaughter and driving while intoxicated.  

Neighbors said Cesario was a kindly butcher who had just moved to the borough from Queens about a year earlier. He died at Staten Island University Hospital North from massive internal injuries, according to the stories.

A neighbor of Cesario's told the Advance: "You had to be going pretty damn fast not to see a person."

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The family of Jonathan Smith, who killed his longtime girlfriend Margaux Powers in their Chelsea apartment before taking his own life, released a statement to the Daily News yesterday expressing sorrow for what their son had done.

Jonathan's brother Baldwin told the News: "Our deepest sorrow goes out to the Powers family; [we] just feel terrible for them."

The Smith and Powers families were especially close and grew up in the same tony circles on Long Island. "W're doing our best," said Baldwin. "They have a wonderful family and she was a wonderful girl."

The Post weighed in with a story that claimed that Smith, until recently a chef at Cafe Society, was fired for being chronically drunk and degrading to his female co-workers. An old friend is also quoted as saying Smith was a good guy who must have snapped.

Reportedly, Powers was fed up with Smith's drinking and mood swings and had told him she was breaking up with him and asked him to move out just before she was murdered. Her sister later found her body in the apartment bathtub.

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Meanwhile, the Daily News has a story in which Rev. Al Shapton calls for a high-profile community summit to address black-on-black violence. Sharpton told the News: "Shootings and violence within our community by one of our own is an outrage and an issue that we must confront as diligently and as passionately as a sensational case of police misconduct or brutality."

According to my statistics, blacks represent at least half of the murder victims in the city this year even though they are only about one-quarter of the city's overall population.

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Please watch a new episode of "48 Hours Mystery" on CBS TONIGHT at 9 p.m. eastern time...produced by me!! Read the great review in today's NY Post -- 3 out of 4 stars!!

May 26th -- 3 dead, woman killed by car...

An unidentified 40-year-old woman was hit and killed by a car while she was crossing Brighton Beach Avenue in Brooklyn on Sunday, according to an Associated Press story. Police are still trying to determine her identity but have arrested Ronald Suriano, the driver of the car, and are charging him with drug possession. It's likely other charges will follow, according to the story. Suriano refused to take a breathalizer test. Suriano was captured near the scene by two men who had been walking with the victim; they dragged him from his car and beat him, the AP reported.

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An unidentified 20-year-old black male was shot multiple times in the torso early Monday at 752 E. 211th Street in the Bronx, according to a police report. He was transported to Jacobi Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. No arrests.

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Kenneth Sackey, a 42-year-old black male who reportedly lived in Yonkers, was found shot in the chest and arm in the lobby of 1749 Grand Concourse in the Bronx Sunday evening, according to a police report. Sackey was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. No arrests.

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Police yesterday arrested Levon Reese, 29, in the murder of his uncle David Hough, a 34-year-old black male, according to a story in the Daily News.

On Sunday morning, cops say Hough tried to evict Reese from Hough's apartment at 31 Nostrand Avenue, a building in the Marcy Houses, Brooklyn. Reese refused and became so enraged that he allegedly shot Hough once in the head, killing him instantly, according to police. Reese was later arrested and charged with his uncle's murder.

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Read the full details of the murder that made rocked NYC -- "Death of a Dream" (the murder of dancer Catherine Woods and the trial of Paul Cortez) is now available everywhere by Paul LaRosa & Erin Moriarty. Reviewers called it: "compelling" and "a chilling good read." Available at bookstores under 'true crime' and online.

First chapter available free.

 

May 9th -- 1 dead, a 5-year-old boy...

Jordan McLean, a 5-year-old black boy, was killed early Thursday when he was thrown from an SUV driven by his aunt who swerved to avoid two cars that were drag-racing down a Queens street, according to an article on page 8 of the Daily News. One of the speeding cars hit the Ford, driven by Claire Edwards -- Jordan's aunt -- and the little boy was thrown from the car.

A witness told The News: "I just heard a boom and the car started spinning out. We pulled a lady out of the car and she started screaming, 'Where's my baby?' 'Where's my baby?' "

The driver and passengers of the BMW that hit Edwards' car fled and police later said they believed it was purchased by someone who had stolen another person's identity. The driver of the other car, a Jaguar, did not stop. That stretch of 109th Avenue is a well-known street for cars that illegally race. No arrests.

April 20th -- 3 dead, including Brooklyn minister in car fatality....

Clayton Greaves, 75, a well-known Brooklyn minister was killed Saturday evening after his car was hit by an apparently intoxicated woman from Connecticut, according to a story in the Daily News.

Greaves, who has ministered to various churches over the past 30 years, was driving a gold Buick Park Avenue at 3:10 a.m. when he was hit at the intersection of Sterling Street and New York Avenue in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn.

Arlene Campbell, 26, of Norwich, attempted to leave the scene of the accident, according to The News' story, but Toytoa Camry broke down a few blocks away.

Campbell, who had left a nearby nightclub, apparently admitted she was drunk, according to the News' report. She was arrested but charges were not immediately filed, pending tests to determine her blood alcohol level.

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An unidentified 30 year old black male was found shot several times in the torso early Sunday in a 7th floor hallway at 1700 Bedford Avenue, according to police. He was taken to Kings County Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.

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Ronnie Manley, a 38-year-old black male was found stabbed several times in the chest early Sunday inside an 8th floor apartment at 980 Trinity Avenue in the Bronx, according to police. He was taken to Lincoln Hospital where was declared dead on arrival. Beatrice McMillan, 38, identified as his girlfriend was arrested at the scene. A knife which may be the murder weapon was recovered, police said. A story in the Daily News alleged that McMillan had discovered that Manley was cheating on her and took matters into her own hands.

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