Detectives Press Hunt for Brutal Killer (New Gay Murder)

[readmoreoften]

Gay Brooklyn man, Rashawn Brazell, victim of dismemberment, mourned by hundreds

By MICK MEENAN

Rashawn Brazell, a 19-year-old gay Brooklyn man, disappeared on February 14 and police later discovered his severed body parts in two Brooklyn locations. As of yet, police have no definite suspect.

The murder investigation in the case of Rashawn Brazell, a 19-year-old Brooklyn gay man, whose severed limbs and torso were discovered at two locations in the borough over the last two weeks, is ongoing, according to a police official who said that investigators are working around the clock to apprehend a suspect in a case so ghastly, some young gay men have expressed fear for their safety....

http://www.gaycitynews.com/gcn_409/detectivespresshunt.html

(note: the MSM does not seem to be reporting on this)

[Nothing Without Hope]

1. No the MSM would rather "report" on celeb gossip

After all, gays are the designated victims in this administration for internal hatred, just as "terrursts" (read, anybody looking vaguely Arabic except Israelis and Saudis) are for international hatred.

This is truly horrible. Pressure needs to be brought to bear on the media to report it.

[readmoreoften]

2. the last paragraph of the article disturbs me too

The dismembering was done cleanly as if the killer knew what he was doing. It sounds pretty calculated. The police sound unsure as to whether or not this killer might wind up becoming serial. I live in NYC and I heard about this story from a GLBT listserve.

This poor kid. I bet if he was white and straight this would be all over the news.

[Nothing Without Hope]

3. You're right, I'm sure

This poor kid. I bet if he was white and straight this would be all over the news.
No doubt about that whatsoever. How horrible for his family and loved ones too. How can they live with this?

[TwentyFive]

8. This guy was just 19 years old - so young!

Killing is horrible at any age, but when it hits somebody so young that is even worse. When somebody is killed because they are gay or jewish or some other targeted group - our entire society has blood on it's collective hands.

Maybe that's too severe, but I think the world should just stop for a moment and try to figure out where we are going wrong.

[Nothing Without Hope]

15. No, I don't think you're being too severe

I think the world should just stop for a moment and try to figure out where we are going wrong.

Yes, the world needs to stop and let the wrongness of this resonate so loudly that it is heard by everyone. He was a teenager, little more than a child, with a family and loved ones, dreams and potential for the future. All of that was turned into pieces of dead meat. And the corporate media have not considered it important enough to rate a mention; they'd rather talk about celebrity scandals.

The unspeakable monster who did this crime could not be reached by any form of reason, but many others who fear gays could. I don't understand where homophobia comes from, what dark corner of mens' (especially mens') psyches, but it is there at least in a latent state, or the monsters who have been whipping it up as a political tool would have nothing to work with. We need to understand this fear better, then organize a carefully planned REFRAMING CAMPAIGN to put it to rest. Some of the fear is founded in ignorance and the wild schemes that can spring from that with evil guidance. We can combat ignorance-borne fear.

[Occulus]

4. I'm getting scared....

...how long will it be before this happens in Chicago?

Michigan City?

Kalamazoo?

Do I need to arm myself now?

[benburch]

5. Yes, arm yourself.

And learn to safely use whatever you choose.

[readmoreoften]

9. I've been thinking about arming myself as well.

Can we legally in NYC though? I don't think so.

It drives me crazy how many of us die without a whimper in the press. Because Matthew Shepard's death was so iconic, I think that many people think he was the only GLBT kid to die brutally in the past 10 years.

This story makes me really really sad. I feel bad for his friends and loved ones.

[benburch]

10. If not a gun, then get some combination mace/pepper spray.

Something to give you the chance to disable the attacker and run like hell.

Having a powered on cellphone with 911 on speed-dial is a good idea too.

But learn to use the pepper spray. There are classes you can take to make sure that if you do use it you know how to disable the attacker.

[XemaSab]

7. Stuff like this can happen anywhere

Witness the BTK killer, or Cary Stayner (the Yosemite killer).

The world is full of sickos.

[Just Me]

6. OMFG!!! That is horrific!!!!

Shit. :scared:

[readmoreoften]

11. If anyone has more info on this case, please post it

I don't know how the community is responding. I'm wondering if others have heard about this in the city and know where any vigils or protests or college funds or ANYTHING is for this boy...

Has this been covered in any other press? Any other links? It depresses me that this isn't showing up in even the local MSM. This deserves more than the gay city news.

[Princess Turandot]

12. The NYT has had several articles/references on this murder..

and the Post has had a few.The last Times article was on 2/26.
The Times is reporting that they actually found this poor young man in 3 locations.

(Do you have a NY Public Library card? You can search/access NY newspapers going back several years online thru their site.)

[readmoreoften]

13. That's good to know at least

But when I googled the kid's name I only found the post articles which seemed buried and were, of course, somewhat offensive (but that's the Post)

Still, I just don't understand how a robbery shooting of a straight white girl in the LES is front page news and a dismembered, decapitated (apparently by someone who knows anatomy) and young African-American gay man isn't...

I'll look up the NYT article and see if it's online. I'm sure the Voice will write something about it.

[readmoreoften]

14. from what I can tell, 3 locations no head.

An editoral blurb in the NYPress www.nypress.com is saying that the cops have turned their sights from a medical professional or butcher to an MTA worker. (A doctor working for the MTA???)