What a colossal waste of time and money identifying and investigating this lowlife. How much of the taxpayers money and police investigation time was wasted on this criminal? Whose the next dirt bag that will be dug up and whose sordid life exposed for nonsense? Let's find a story about someone whose life had meaning, not a drug dealing bisexual .
1
Is there an investigation into Evelyn's murder? The article about her life was intriguing, but I want to know more, like who killed her and why and is this cold case still under investigation.
2
This article was well written but includes mostly information given to the NY Times by the New York State Police in hopes of identifying and solving this murder. The State Police at Monroe at 845-782-8311 have the active case and have been trying to identify "AC" for 46 plus years. Following the discovery of "AC"'s fingerprint hit in January of 2016 it has been a very steady push to find her identity. Michael Wilson should be credited with locating Evelyn Moore's census record and finding Evelyn's cousin and spreading her story. The other details of this case other then those two items rest on teamwork and great assistance to the New York State Police from New York City Police Department 32 Precinct Detectives, The Bronx Cold Case Squad, City of Philadelphia Police Department Homicide Squad, Vital Record departments in multiple states, Atlantic County NJ Prosecutor's Office, NAMUS and so many other people. Evelyn was abducted from the St. Nicholas Housing projects as she exited the building with her friend. No one has ever reported her missing.
3
I presume that the writer did not include the meaning of AC as a nickname because everybody knows what it means -- see here http://legendsrevealed.com/entertainment/2014/02/03/was-acdc-named-after...
3
What...A... Story...The ability to connect the dots detailing one person's story. And we get a look inside this life and wonder how it came to this? After reading the article we may have an idea.
8
Those sticky bits of data - census record, mug shots, her arrest record, validate that she was here, but the "cool people" comment, recollections from her cousins that she would come to Philadelphia once a year with someone else, created a flesh and blood person. I want to know more about the Julius Rosenwald Foundation and the schools they built. Like Henrietta Lacks, Evelyn Moore might inspire more questions and fill in the blanks of those that might have gone unnoticed.
6
Hi Bo!
I found this NPR story about Mr. Rosenwald. Fascinating!
http://www.freep.com/story/news/columnists/rochelle-riley/2017/06/09/boo...
Hope you enjoy it.
I found this NPR story about Mr. Rosenwald. Fascinating!
http://www.freep.com/story/news/columnists/rochelle-riley/2017/06/09/boo...
Hope you enjoy it.
2
Well done! Now I just need the full, drawn out podcast outlining this journalist's every investigative turn to identify her and naturally a season 2 whodunnit.
2
Absolutely fascinating, what a fine job of discovering who this once lost person was. I found the discussions with her family heartbreaking.
3
Wonderful story--so well done and bringing back to life that little baby Evelyn. Sad life it might have been but she kept going back to those she knew--raised questions about connections and living in the south tracking a name misspelled in ledgers and families torn apart seeking a better life elsewhere--but having enough of a life to return to 'family'. Naming herself after her mother--maybe just a quick reach for a name but the image is amazing too--a compelling, gripping story of a life lost and and found. THANK YOU all for the excellent job of capturing this story.
11
An hour ago I planned to quickly check the NYT headlines emailed to me daily. I found this story and decided to "spend" one of my coveted 10 free /month articles on it. MESMERIZING! AND, equally engaging are its comments. Thanks to one of them I have finally learned why the little girl killed in the 1952 Hartford Circus fire was never claimed. Weirdly, I thought about her only a day or two ago!!#''' Read on!-- Thanks to all for a great read.
9
That's a wonderful story! Well sleuthed indeed! I would imagine it will be next to impossible to disappear in the future with how we document our lives and commit it to our computers. She sounds like a fascinating human being. Live fast. Die young.
7
Would have been nice to know more about her personality....reflections from people who knew her...maybe would have shed some light on her bad choices....lethally bad choices as she dwelt among the sociopaths. Was she actually a transsexual rather than bisexual? Did she have skills that could have gotten her out of the toxic place she fell into? Who killed her and why? I think they could have dug deeper or at least wish they would have.
4
Wow, an excellent piece of sleuthing and an absorbing read.
7
An interesting yet sad story of a wasted life and a poverty stricken upbringing. I find it odd with the scourge of heroin addiction still ravaging this country there wasn't any judgement of the choices made by this woman or even the notorious Nicky Barnes. They were just doing their jobs so to speak...
2
Thank you to Michael Wilson and Alain Delaquérière for this “remarkable life story in reverse." It's extraordinary to witness the story of this young woman's life emerging from good police work, biometrics, old documents and maps, and conversations with people who knew her. Thanks for all the love and insight you put into researching and writing this piece. Thanks also to the Times people who designed the story in the paper and on the web, including the documents and map in PDF, and Sean Rayford's photos. I'm very happy this superb article made the front page!
11
Excellent journalism and excellent writing. It brought her back to life and answered questions for cousin who were left to guess what happened to her.
14
Thank you for this excellent piece of journalism. I appreciated all the research and time it must of taken to create this rich portrait of Evelyn's life. A beautiful tribute.
12
Great article! Well researched and well written. Kudos NYT!
7
This story resonates.
I read the first story on this female last year and most likely would have forgotten it.
However, since then, I have begun to research my family.
I have traced my paternal side back to the early 1800's.
Perhaps because of their good fortune, hard work and the acknowledged family ties to the family which once enslaved them, they were not desperately poor.
Indeed even in the latey 1800's, the census lists many as owning their own land and working for themselves.
A good portion however left the small town vowing never to return.
The familiarly and the sameness that could often times protect you, also brought the suffocating necessity to conform.
If you were a sharecropper as mentioned in the article, the system was designed to keep you tethered to a narrow path of indebtedness.
If Evelyn knew from a early age she felt masculine, there was no way she was going to be comfortable living in rural SC.
I am interested in knowing where the family moved soon after the 1940 census was taken. When did she first appear in NYC?
How common was it for folks of her persuasion to be involved in the drug trade?
I vehemently oppose her chosen method to make money. Yet, I am struck that she even as she was taken away, admonishing her teenage companion to " go back and stay there".
I am glad his parents interrupted the trajectory his life was on.
Thanks for humanizing Evelyn through these articles.
I read the first story on this female last year and most likely would have forgotten it.
However, since then, I have begun to research my family.
I have traced my paternal side back to the early 1800's.
Perhaps because of their good fortune, hard work and the acknowledged family ties to the family which once enslaved them, they were not desperately poor.
Indeed even in the latey 1800's, the census lists many as owning their own land and working for themselves.
A good portion however left the small town vowing never to return.
The familiarly and the sameness that could often times protect you, also brought the suffocating necessity to conform.
If you were a sharecropper as mentioned in the article, the system was designed to keep you tethered to a narrow path of indebtedness.
If Evelyn knew from a early age she felt masculine, there was no way she was going to be comfortable living in rural SC.
I am interested in knowing where the family moved soon after the 1940 census was taken. When did she first appear in NYC?
How common was it for folks of her persuasion to be involved in the drug trade?
I vehemently oppose her chosen method to make money. Yet, I am struck that she even as she was taken away, admonishing her teenage companion to " go back and stay there".
I am glad his parents interrupted the trajectory his life was on.
Thanks for humanizing Evelyn through these articles.
16
Fascinating story. Excellent fingerprint detective work by the M.E., Dr. Zugibe, as noted in the letter from Investigator Dirschka so many years ago. I wonder if they or their families are aware that their work had a payoff decades later.
17
Get big enough in the trade, and if you get caught, you get a new identity and a new life in the witness protection program.
Small enough, and you get shot in the woods leading to an unknown grave.
The story repeats again, again and again in this so called war on drugs.
Small enough, and you get shot in the woods leading to an unknown grave.
The story repeats again, again and again in this so called war on drugs.
24
This story has haunted me all day. Read it first thing in bed and still thinking about it 12 hours later. Thanks to the reporter for such persistence and poetry.
I imagine this unique person bravely leaving South Carolina to live a bit more freely as a bisexual in NYC, perhaps falling prey to drugs, yet still stopping by to visit family every so often. Great that several people shared clear memories - and so life affirming and amazing that the writer found and captured those long-held details and emotions.
Again, much gratitude for this story.
I imagine this unique person bravely leaving South Carolina to live a bit more freely as a bisexual in NYC, perhaps falling prey to drugs, yet still stopping by to visit family every so often. Great that several people shared clear memories - and so life affirming and amazing that the writer found and captured those long-held details and emotions.
Again, much gratitude for this story.
22
I am not only inspired by this wonderful article but by the thoughtful and inspirational comments of so many of the readers. In these troubled times it is always wonderful to see that there is still tremendous humanity left in our country.
26
Thanks NYT por this article, it made my day.
11
Thank you NYT, for this well researched article. It reminds me of an unidentified girl in Blairstown, NJ who we named Princess Doe. Many years ago she was found beaten to death in a cemetery here. I had seen her alive 2 days before she was found murdered. I wish I could have remembered more for the police, but could not, even under hypnosis. Her murderer was never found and her identity is still a mystery.
Thank you for this lovely , but sad story.
Thank you for this lovely , but sad story.
17
Amazing writing and a powerful story. Thanks for bringing it to life!
10
Meanwhile America still suffers from the lack of criminal justic reform, the war on drugs, and the emergence of fascism in Trump. Excellent research and fantastic reporting worthy of the
NY Times. Now can we get rid of Trump?
NY Times. Now can we get rid of Trump?
21
What a lovely piece of reporting!
15
Great story. Very touching.
16
Educational, Enlightening, Persevering Reporting. Mr Wilson, I commend you on your work.
23
Nicky Barnes' documentary film, "Mr. Untouchable" is a great companion to this article for anyone fascinated by the Harlem drug scene described herein. He shouldn't be too hard to locate given his involvement in that film, assuming he is still alive. Thank you nytimes for great investigative journalism and for a respite from the politics of the day
25
It was some kind of travel in the past where more and more was revealed of Evelyn. I admit I was hoping for the murderer to be named but in retrospective I am happy of the inconclusiveness.
The storyline was somber and warm at the same time.
Exceptional story.
The storyline was somber and warm at the same time.
Exceptional story.
26
Few women can disappear into a man's world. It's a great blessing when they do and succeed. The men's world is a much more interesting and rewarding life than women's.
4
This is the first comment amongst so many beautiful ones ,with which I disagree. Perhaps I would have excused you if you had said most, but by no,
means ALL , men's lives are more interesting than women's. I can assure you mine has been very interesting.
means ALL , men's lives are more interesting than women's. I can assure you mine has been very interesting.
4
I want to know what A.C. stood for! (Great piece, by the way)
11
Curious what A.C. ("Acey Moore" in the police report) stood for? Perhaps it was a nickname for the most immediately notable part of her visual identity, as many nicknames are. In her case, likely her crossdressing/bisexuality was the most noticeable thing about her. I checked dictionary.com and sure enough, the use of AC/DC as slang for "goes both ways" was already in use in her time. To wit: "AC/DC. adj. electronics abbreviation of alternating current/direct current, by 1898. As slang for 'bisexual,' 1959, said to have been in use orally from c.1940". Another mystery solved?
4
So softly and tenderly written, like little raindrops hitting a puddle. The words tie you into a lost soul. You want to know more.
40
Agree. This could turn into a much bigger story, like The story of Ms Henrietta Lacks.
9
Your comment is beautifully evocative. And I do want to know more.
3
Such a beautiful sentence Mr. Rinaldi. Thank you.
1
Well, this in itself was worth my month's subscription to the Times.
Everyone should be remembered by somebody, and now she is, by a lot of us.
Everyone should be remembered by somebody, and now she is, by a lot of us.
55
Wow - what a wonderful comment.
3
This was a remarkable story. Evelyn became real, a real person, not a stereotype or a drug dealer or a sexually ambiguous unknown. Someone cried learning of her demise...had human feelings for this orphan who had to make her own way in life with no support no one lovingly seeing her along her way.
I felt a closeness to her not having that kind of network or support in my own life...love or guidance or familial concern and care. I cannot imagine how I could have survived in her circumstances. She had an inner strength to keep herself moving forward in spite of the disadvantages she endured.
I can feel that country isolation, the larger community not having any concern for the welfare of the poor disadvantaged children. I know this because I am from the white side of the street and the disregard for poor blacks was scorning entrenched and for me extremely painful. Does anybody know that white children can actually have feelings and suffer from the extreme hatred of white people. It goes in deep it feels shameful.
I grew up in the country. My father was a farmer and he "used" migrant blacks to farm. I can feel it now...the total silence of the community and the society at that time that there was a "slave" camp in the middle of my lily white town of proud WASPs...proud of their heritage and place in history while the ethnics who invaded their "place" occupied the lowest rung.
My mother's name was Evelyn.
I felt a closeness to her not having that kind of network or support in my own life...love or guidance or familial concern and care. I cannot imagine how I could have survived in her circumstances. She had an inner strength to keep herself moving forward in spite of the disadvantages she endured.
I can feel that country isolation, the larger community not having any concern for the welfare of the poor disadvantaged children. I know this because I am from the white side of the street and the disregard for poor blacks was scorning entrenched and for me extremely painful. Does anybody know that white children can actually have feelings and suffer from the extreme hatred of white people. It goes in deep it feels shameful.
I grew up in the country. My father was a farmer and he "used" migrant blacks to farm. I can feel it now...the total silence of the community and the society at that time that there was a "slave" camp in the middle of my lily white town of proud WASPs...proud of their heritage and place in history while the ethnics who invaded their "place" occupied the lowest rung.
My mother's name was Evelyn.
41
Your recollection sounds fascinating. You should write.
3
In a sense, Evelyn's story makes me think of my own life. Not that I'm a criminal, but that when I die I will not have left a very big imprint on the earth, either. Most of us don't. We have a small circle of friends and relatives, and when we're all gone, we're all gone. That's why it's good that all this time and research was devoted to this one person's life. It doesn't even matter to me that she was a criminal. It's enough that she was a human being, who at one time mattered to someone, somewhere, and now the NYT took the time to find out a little bit about her. Now, she'll live on forever because of this story. Most of us, whether we're good or bad, criminal or not, won't leave a trace.
67
MsPea by the sound of your voice, I think you'll be leaving traces that reverberate through and out from your circle of friends for a long time. Not saying that leaving no trace worries you. Just saying.
14
What is wonderful is that in the midst of everything, she had a sense of style and perople remember her as kind. Although this is just a shadow, Evelyn Moore now has a life; back above ground and this time uneffaceable.
39
"A.C." might be as in "A.C.-D.C", which was common sexual terminology in the 1960s. She might have gone bythe"D.C." in the female community.
14
Good suggestion!
1
Has any of the commenters said anything about the name Fannie Hill? It's borrowed from a libertine novel of the 18th century, by British writer John Cleland, "Memoirs of a woman of Pleasure," also know as "Fanny Hill." It's about the life and adventures of a former prostitute of that name. first published in the US in 1963. "Fanny hill" was also the name for the female pubic area.
I'd say she had some rather sophisticated references!
I'd say she had some rather sophisticated references!
26
Novel popular in the 70s.
5
Awesome research and writing, Michael Wilson. Thanks for publishing, NY Times. Exceptional.
17
I don't see how this solves any mysteries. I recall reading the earlier article about this dead, mendacious drug dealer, and sure enough, when I read all the way through to the end of this one (it's well written if unimportant stuff), we still have no idea who murdered Evelyn, or why, or when exactly. Now we know that her name was really Evelyn, and she came from a tiny town down south.
So, I dunno, as weird and tragic a life as this woman had, I don't see the relevance. Surely we have a dozen murdered drug dealers a year where we don't know who killed them or exactly why, and they also used lots of aliases and had a shady life.
Is the big deal about this woman that she dressed as a man? In that case, I'd say playing into the stereotype of transgender people living shady, tragic lives, isn't beneficial to society.
So please pardon my unwillingness to be PC, but in this city of eight million stories, why does this sad and mostly unknown story merit front page news?
So, I dunno, as weird and tragic a life as this woman had, I don't see the relevance. Surely we have a dozen murdered drug dealers a year where we don't know who killed them or exactly why, and they also used lots of aliases and had a shady life.
Is the big deal about this woman that she dressed as a man? In that case, I'd say playing into the stereotype of transgender people living shady, tragic lives, isn't beneficial to society.
So please pardon my unwillingness to be PC, but in this city of eight million stories, why does this sad and mostly unknown story merit front page news?
6
The NY Times tasked someone with doing some research and they got to some type of resolution (although incomplete.) I appreciate any news that does not involve Trump.
17
Dan, Here is the reason it is relevant. The story has nothing to do with PC, its a story of excellent detective work by the reporter as well as all the law enforcement people who worked on it. Not sexy, not glamorous, not news worthy as you note. I spent about eight years as a detective supervisor in various precincts in NYC during the 1980's. Unidentified murder victims were unusual but did happen with some regularity. Technology both computer and DNA were primitive compared to today. Most of these victims were on the margins of society, many estranged from family's and extremely difficult to identify. Cut to the chase. All people deserve to be treated as we would want are family's to be. Once you start to "dehumanize "anyone you start down a slippery slope that is not what we are about. The best detectives I worked with tried very hard to treat all victims equally but everyone falls short at times myself included. New York City has always been a complicated multi dimensional city full of both masters of the universe as well as the thousands of unknowns buried at Potters field. I am not a religious man but it is said "we are all equal in Gods eyes". Taxpayer dollars (and the NYT's) well spent.
19
It warrants the front page because, some of us who believe that every human life has value, have pledged in our hearts that we will never forget the missing, nor the victims of unsolved rape or murder cases, regardless of the person's life history. We have pledged never to cease striving to uncover the truth about what happened to them, and thereby honor their humanity. And today, we celebrate.
17
.Evelyn "A. C" comes vividly to life as beautiful and spirited in this story. Did anyone mention "Fanny Hill" as a pseudonym? That's an 18th century book about a sexually adventurous woman. Here's the link to Gutenberg:
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/25305/25305-h/25305-h.htm
Did A.C. know this or was the name a coincidence?
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/25305/25305-h/25305-h.htm
Did A.C. know this or was the name a coincidence?
9
Thank you for this story. This woman's life, like all of ours, is worth understanding and remembering.
21
Some people's lives are so sad. So very hard. So nearly anonymous. Thank you for this story.
28
Thanks NYT , truly amazing story.
15
Great story! Thanks!
10
I find some of these remarks more sad and deplorable than the article itself. Such harshness shared because the identify of the individual who was laid to rest in grave marker 537 was a young, black woman who sold drugs, used various aliases, and had sexual encounters with both sexes rather than some "pious or pillar of society". My God, she was a human being, she had friends and family, she appeared to do the best she was capable of doing back in the 1960s, in Harlem, poor and uneducated. I don't think anyone is trying to glamorize her or her lifestyle. But what I do think is that her identify finally being discovered, (by no easy or simple task) is important and that this writer and various law enforcement individuals should be applauded for their efforts in determining who this individual was. Who would want their grave marker to read "Unknown" and their loved ones and friends wondering what happened to them? Geez, why so little, if any, compassion or humanity?
92
You must be reading a totally different set I
of comments than I. Without exception, they have been thoughtful...just like the article about which they have written.
of comments than I. Without exception, they have been thoughtful...just like the article about which they have written.
1
I agree with you Ginna in that most of the comments written have been thoughtful and respectful. But there were some which contained more coldness and harshness than compassion.
2
Mesmerizing! It brought tears to my eyes because I related to this "mystery" woman. I am an experimental artist (CutZy McCall) and writer (Hawthorne Wood) with a history of being, let's just say "cutting-edge." I am also an "outlaw" - a woman with a style, mind, spirit and room of her own. Here is Toni Morrison's next novel. Or mine.
12
Can't wait to read it!
Thank you, AZYankee! I have just assigned myself another daunting task, and now my fate is sealed. I shall write it just for you, then, no doubt, expire. Or, I shall wait patiently, and guiltily, for Ms. Morrison's book. We heroines suffer like the Dickens, lol!
"The state police took a swab of [mr. moore's] saliva for a DNA comparison to the body in the woods. The results are pending."
pending, and once examined, will be definitive? yes or no, the deceased was related to mr. moore, with 99.9% certainty? maybe the state police spokesman could have offered a response.
as i understand, many cold cases have been resolved in the past decade using DNA analysis, a technology that did not exist previously.
pending, and once examined, will be definitive? yes or no, the deceased was related to mr. moore, with 99.9% certainty? maybe the state police spokesman could have offered a response.
as i understand, many cold cases have been resolved in the past decade using DNA analysis, a technology that did not exist previously.
2
Until the DNA testing is done, & it takes time, no one can say anything, not yes, not no, not even a maybe. It's not like TV when DNA is taken & you have the results after the commercial. It's not like taking our a note from a box & just reading it. Both sets must be grown so there is enough to read. Then after both are to that point (probably set aside for current cases with more urgency), a computer can read both, then compare them.
It's always possible that with all the time underground the dead person might not have enough DNA left to clone a full genome. Then the best that can be hoped for is maybe. Otherwise a yes or no, while not guaranteed, at least might be possible.
It's always possible that with all the time underground the dead person might not have enough DNA left to clone a full genome. Then the best that can be hoped for is maybe. Otherwise a yes or no, while not guaranteed, at least might be possible.
4
Someone should turn this into a film.
29
Many thanks to the reporters for doing this work, and the New York Times for having the vision to understand it needed supporting.
In a time when talking heads on monitors yell at one another, and its called news, its good to see that some have not forgotten what reporting means.
Again, many thanks for this work. Its why I support the Times. Now, sorry, here is the bad news.
Do More. Hire more reporters. Support more of this about a wider variety of stories. What has happened to your Science reporting? Am I incorrect when I say that it seems to me that the number of reported Science stories has fallen in recent years?
More reporting, like this, please: on more subjects.
In a time when talking heads on monitors yell at one another, and its called news, its good to see that some have not forgotten what reporting means.
Again, many thanks for this work. Its why I support the Times. Now, sorry, here is the bad news.
Do More. Hire more reporters. Support more of this about a wider variety of stories. What has happened to your Science reporting? Am I incorrect when I say that it seems to me that the number of reported Science stories has fallen in recent years?
More reporting, like this, please: on more subjects.
48
Fascinating story, well done!
Someone knows, of course, what happened, but after the passage of so much time, it's hard to imagine anyone will ever be held responsible for Ms Moore's murder. So many stories in the world, many of them sad.
Someone knows, of course, what happened, but after the passage of so much time, it's hard to imagine anyone will ever be held responsible for Ms Moore's murder. So many stories in the world, many of them sad.
9
I tend to read resemblance (at times something being relayed to others) where there is none. RIP.
Thanks for a very fascinating and moving story.
This story reminds us that every and any life matters, regardless how small and anonimous could seem to our eyes.
This story reminds us that every and any life matters, regardless how small and anonimous could seem to our eyes.
12
Brilliant reporting. The New York Times at its best.
Read like a Hollywood blockbuster. Well done.
9
What an interesting and sad story. Thanks for sharing this story.
14
This is an oddly fascinating story which I enjoyed very much. Thank you for the research and great writing.
30
Now I would like to know more, which is one measure of a well done story.
There is one description of a larger subculture she was part of:
"As he tells it, two “butch” females emerged from the car, grabbed A.C. and drove away.
“That was their world,” he said. “That was the type of people she was dealing with.”"
I'd like to hear more about that type of people, their world. What was that?
There is one description of a larger subculture she was part of:
"As he tells it, two “butch” females emerged from the car, grabbed A.C. and drove away.
“That was their world,” he said. “That was the type of people she was dealing with.”"
I'd like to hear more about that type of people, their world. What was that?
37
Sad story, worth reporting. Thank you NYT.
24
No one should end up with a numbered grave that says "unknown." Evelyn was a person that laughed, cried, had dreams, and felt pain. Was she perfect? No, but who is?
43
This one was so well-written, I felt that I knew this woman! - and I'm sure many other readers felt the same. What a sad, yet fascinating story, and how awful the ending for her. Her assailant may probably never be brought to justice after all these years, but this story has at least brought some justice for her and her familily members and friends. I'm glad you told this story. Fine job, NYT!
And for those few commenters dissing her as a "low-life" - take a look in the mirror! She was probably just a young woman trying to make her way in this sometimes hard and unforgiving world we live in.
And for those few commenters dissing her as a "low-life" - take a look in the mirror! She was probably just a young woman trying to make her way in this sometimes hard and unforgiving world we live in.
75
"Her assailant may probably never be brought to justice after all these years,"
Her assailant was prolly a professional killer who was brought down in some gangland episode.
Her assailant was prolly a professional killer who was brought down in some gangland episode.
1
The unspeakable and brutal repression of Nixon's criminal regime forced this American hero to live her life in abject anonymity. Today's trumpist/Ultranationalist regime continues its repression of womyn and minorities. When are we going to say no to hate. #Resist
12
Surprising that someone could pull an anti-Nixon rant from this story.
12
@Fred: In what way do you find Evelyn Moore to be a hero? She sounds like an interesting person, from what this story says of her, but a HERO?
14
A drug dealer a hero? Sympathy for a life lost but no heroine.
5
Very cool detective work. I have done amateur genealogy and used some of these same methods tracking old names in ledgers and even cemetery archives and can now really appreciate the amount of work that goes into cold cases like this. I would like to hear if they ever track down Nicky Barnes and know what he would have to say about his long-gone Harlem street corner competitor.
35
As per the article, Nicki Barnes entered Witness Protection in 1998 "where he presumably remains." When you're in Witness Protection, your name is changed, maybe the government even helped with plastic surgery, since he provided testimony they needed and was so well known.
Nick Barnes is dead. His body lives on in another identity. For all we know, he's dead.
Nick Barnes is dead. His body lives on in another identity. For all we know, he's dead.
4
Can someone explain how a body left to the elements for months and "unrecognizable" still had enough skin to make fingerprints that could be matched. There is something seriously odd about this story from the getgo.
Seriously? The article tells you exactly how - she fell backwards, protecting her hands somewhat from the elements. It takes many years for a body to decompose completely.
45
The article said she fell on her back and the fingers were protected from the elements.
1
It's explained in the piece though.
12
There but for fate (or, if you prefer, the grace of God) go any one of us.
27
Please, speak for yourself, Tor.
1
Quite a story! For me, the most mysterious part of the story is the allegation that two lesbians kidnapped her on the street, just before her murder. Were there female enforcers and killers in the drug trade of the 60s? Or what?
21
I can only wonder at the lack of basic , decent humanity shown by the comments of "Kurt" and David" in response to this article. This article was well written, very well researched, and the sources and author are to be commended. It reminded me of Rebecca Skloots' excellent book about Henrietta Lacks.
47
I think those two just love perfection. They think we should only read stories about perfect people. That would leave quite a bit of room in the library, though.
Not sure about the guys' humanity, but their imagination is seriously lacking.
Not sure about the guys' humanity, but their imagination is seriously lacking.
16
Also reminds me of the little girl, who was not identified until recently that was buried in Hartford after the Great Circus Fire. Not a mark on her. But, no one claimed her. Stories written on each anniversary date. Then a miracle happened. A brother saw a picture. It had been forbidden to even say her name at home. Her mother was so distraught. They worried so much about the mother's sanity, they all just shut the child out of mind. Now she rests in peace.
Though with my beliefs, it matters not. The woman in this piece, the little girl, both had closer with themselves & their families, as members returned HOME.
I'm glad those of her family still living, have finally had closure though. They or others in situations like this, shouldn't have to wait for death to find out what happened.
I suggest every child, before they leave the delivery room have a DNA swab taken. Then processed. With the results put in a data bank. Eventually every living (to later include every dead) US citizen should be in there, to find whenever there is an unidentified body, or lost family. I'm kinda short on family, being the youngest of the youngest. Missing is my Mother's mother's family. It's been a secret so long, no one is left who can tell me. Or before who would tell me.
Though with my beliefs, it matters not. The woman in this piece, the little girl, both had closer with themselves & their families, as members returned HOME.
I'm glad those of her family still living, have finally had closure though. They or others in situations like this, shouldn't have to wait for death to find out what happened.
I suggest every child, before they leave the delivery room have a DNA swab taken. Then processed. With the results put in a data bank. Eventually every living (to later include every dead) US citizen should be in there, to find whenever there is an unidentified body, or lost family. I'm kinda short on family, being the youngest of the youngest. Missing is my Mother's mother's family. It's been a secret so long, no one is left who can tell me. Or before who would tell me.
14
Thank you for the fascinating detective tale. I can't recall having ever seen another story like this one -- quite a unique woman. It's terribly sad when someone can't be identified at death. By writing Evelyn/A.C.'s story, you have also told the story of many other "unknowns" whose history is also invisible or has been erased.
26
Phenomenal writing by Michael Wilson. A great detective story and a fascinating piece of history.
It was a time sans Twitter and the internet, when you got your local news from newspapers and over the backyard fence. Records were handwritten or typed; there was no distributed computing.
And one was known by the company he or she kept; there was no social media. So the contacts that Evelyn kept are the only way to trace her. Between her contacts there is no documentation, unlike today when gaps between meetings with people are filled by recording personal information on social media.
Evelyn's path was travelled by many. I have friends whose families made that Carolina-Philadelphia-NYC journey. One person I know who is now successfully retired in the NYC area looks back wistfully at his simpler days as a child in rural South Carolina. One wonders what better life Evelyn could have had, had she stayed there.
It was a time sans Twitter and the internet, when you got your local news from newspapers and over the backyard fence. Records were handwritten or typed; there was no distributed computing.
And one was known by the company he or she kept; there was no social media. So the contacts that Evelyn kept are the only way to trace her. Between her contacts there is no documentation, unlike today when gaps between meetings with people are filled by recording personal information on social media.
Evelyn's path was travelled by many. I have friends whose families made that Carolina-Philadelphia-NYC journey. One person I know who is now successfully retired in the NYC area looks back wistfully at his simpler days as a child in rural South Carolina. One wonders what better life Evelyn could have had, had she stayed there.
22
Better? Maybe, but how?
No one in the family seemed to have
an income.
No one in the family seemed to have
an income.
12
I'm not sure life in rural South Carolina would have been "better" for Evelyn at the time, had she stayed. Apart from having no income and living in the deeply oppressive and racist South, what kind of life could she have had as a lesbian or transgender person there? At least in NYC, she could presumably live life on her own terms.
Evelyn's sad life story reflects the abject poverty, the lack of opportunity, and the endemic racism of her era. Notwithstanding her criminality and whatever harm that caused others, I hope she managed to find some happiness in her life before it ended so tragically.
Evelyn's sad life story reflects the abject poverty, the lack of opportunity, and the endemic racism of her era. Notwithstanding her criminality and whatever harm that caused others, I hope she managed to find some happiness in her life before it ended so tragically.
17
TT, actually no one admitted to the census taker having an income. Back then often the census taker wasn't given the truth, never asked & filled parts in later, obviously didn't bother about spelling, income meant someone might come wanting taxes. Farmers often had no income. They ate what they farmed. The women in the family as well as the men/boys who hadn't just up & left were the laborers. No pay. Nothing unusual about that, not matter the race of those involved. No one completely trusted the government. Do they today?
I've enjoyed reading census forms for my ancestors. My grandfather was a doctor in what was then a rural area. There were always non family members living there when the census takers happened by, cooks, maid, housekeeper (her husband). The Doctor was a widower. Needed people in the house 24/7 to tend his small daughters. Wasn't wealthy, but, a wife was a labor saving device. Note it took at minimum of 3 people to replace her. Today, maybe one, with all the labor saving devices & many people's abilities to work from home. Meant I grew up learning to hate boiled potatoes. Mom learned to cook from the Irish cook, who's mainstay was boiled potatoes. Ugh.
I've enjoyed reading census forms for my ancestors. My grandfather was a doctor in what was then a rural area. There were always non family members living there when the census takers happened by, cooks, maid, housekeeper (her husband). The Doctor was a widower. Needed people in the house 24/7 to tend his small daughters. Wasn't wealthy, but, a wife was a labor saving device. Note it took at minimum of 3 people to replace her. Today, maybe one, with all the labor saving devices & many people's abilities to work from home. Meant I grew up learning to hate boiled potatoes. Mom learned to cook from the Irish cook, who's mainstay was boiled potatoes. Ugh.
4
Compelling, thoughtful and moving. And that's why I have been a daily NYT reader since I read my first copy of the Times while an undergraduate student at Wayne State University nearly 40 years ago.
25
I think I also read my first NYT article at Wayne State University and have been a daily reader since!
3
I very much enjoyed reading this well-researched article. Thank you.
28
Born in poverty, in the South, long before Gay Liberation and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and with a sexuality then unspeakable, this black woman was so utterly marginalized as to make any other history unlikely.
The justification for the article is the concrete, personal perspective it offers on how the political decisions we make may change the trajectory of lives.
The justification for the article is the concrete, personal perspective it offers on how the political decisions we make may change the trajectory of lives.
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I agree. But, would add one thing. Her education was not important to the family. So, she was allowed to not learn. Even when she ended up in what was basically a 'reform' school (you hear about boys, but, hardly ever about girls). What better life she could have had if she had learned. If she had been able to do the jobs that popped up on her arrest records. Her sexuality would still have had to be hidden, but, I doubt two lesbians would have been sent to kidnap her, so she could have been gotten rid of, for maybe having some information someone further up the ladder didn't want to get out. Or even, because she slept with the wrong person.
Today many (of every race) still think education is useless or even evil. The parents teach this to their children at the children's peril. This story should be a warning for all. Just read about the opioid crisis, then place her there today. No education, no decent job, a bad end. Not much change.
Today many (of every race) still think education is useless or even evil. The parents teach this to their children at the children's peril. This story should be a warning for all. Just read about the opioid crisis, then place her there today. No education, no decent job, a bad end. Not much change.
6
Kudos. This is excellent reporting.
70
Great reporting NYT. I missed previous articles and will read them soon.
The advances in DNA are unfathomable. Many persons who died or were murdered now have names. They have histories to depart. Their anonymity is challenged and they come alive through the annals of our past.
On a side note, I often wonder how our world will be defined without original documents. Google, et-all, should not be our end to, our go to, for all of history.
I hope that through our thirst for knowledge, the 'hard copies' of truth will be preserved. History is more a one or a zero on a computer screen; it is lives lived and questions answered. It is the color of the sky before pollution. It is the pristine river before refuse. It is the sorrow of a child who lost family. It is the joy of discovery.
It is my fervent hope that as time reaches into the future, there will remain the documents of truth. They represent a 'time stamp' of proof. Nothing can be substantiated unless it is recorded; until it exists beyond the zeros and the ones.
Thank you NYT for your research into truth. Let us all strive to retain the proof of history. 'Hear say' is not admissible in a court of law.
The advances in DNA are unfathomable. Many persons who died or were murdered now have names. They have histories to depart. Their anonymity is challenged and they come alive through the annals of our past.
On a side note, I often wonder how our world will be defined without original documents. Google, et-all, should not be our end to, our go to, for all of history.
I hope that through our thirst for knowledge, the 'hard copies' of truth will be preserved. History is more a one or a zero on a computer screen; it is lives lived and questions answered. It is the color of the sky before pollution. It is the pristine river before refuse. It is the sorrow of a child who lost family. It is the joy of discovery.
It is my fervent hope that as time reaches into the future, there will remain the documents of truth. They represent a 'time stamp' of proof. Nothing can be substantiated unless it is recorded; until it exists beyond the zeros and the ones.
Thank you NYT for your research into truth. Let us all strive to retain the proof of history. 'Hear say' is not admissible in a court of law.
60
I worked at the National Archives and you can rest assured real 'hard copies' of documents are in fact being preserved by many archivists throughout the nation - take a look at their website for more info.
15
What is on the internet was scanned there using the hard copies. Now many hard copies are missing. Mostly because of fires in public buildings over the last 200 years (in the US, longer overseas). No chance of recovery. The more widespread these document are sent, the better.
The government says my husband is a Navy veteran. But, his whole file disappeared when there was a big fire where all those records were stored. We have some of his file, given to him on his last day. The fact that the Navy hated me, his wife, because I had the silly idea I wanted to live WITH my husband, not an ocean away disappeared (hey I'm proud of that!). So he passed his 2nd class test, but it was entered as passed but not advanced. Reason me. He was told if he divorced me & reenlisted he'd be a chief in no time. I won.
The government says my husband is a Navy veteran. But, his whole file disappeared when there was a big fire where all those records were stored. We have some of his file, given to him on his last day. The fact that the Navy hated me, his wife, because I had the silly idea I wanted to live WITH my husband, not an ocean away disappeared (hey I'm proud of that!). So he passed his 2nd class test, but it was entered as passed but not advanced. Reason me. He was told if he divorced me & reenlisted he'd be a chief in no time. I won.
2
Thank you; I certainly will check their website. Glad to hear the news!
During May, the NYT published a story about 23-year-old First Lt. Alexander Nininger, who was awarded the first Medal of Honor during World War II. HIs family has worked for decades to have his body identified, and they feel quite certain they know where he is buried. But they cannot get the Department of Defense to exhume the body and identify it.
This is an interesting story about Evelyn Moore, about those times in her hometown and NYC, about the philanthropy of the Rosenwald Foundation building her elementary school, and other events. But there is also a tremendous irony about the power of resources to uncover an identity that depends on who holds the power.
Perhaps the DOD would permit the NYT to exhume the grave of the unknown soldier in Manila and determine once and for all if it does contain the remains of First Lt. Nininger!
This is an interesting story about Evelyn Moore, about those times in her hometown and NYC, about the philanthropy of the Rosenwald Foundation building her elementary school, and other events. But there is also a tremendous irony about the power of resources to uncover an identity that depends on who holds the power.
Perhaps the DOD would permit the NYT to exhume the grave of the unknown soldier in Manila and determine once and for all if it does contain the remains of First Lt. Nininger!
52
Great story. Great detective work, and fascinating if sad history.
42
I'm not sure I understand why this story. This was a bad person who peddled heroin on the streets of NYC and perished a violent death. So what's the take away that merits so much page space? That the identity of a previously unknown person has been found?
14
Yes to your last sentence.
7
1. Her killers might still be out there. Peddling heroin is a crime, and so is murder, a worse crime in my view.
2. She had family and friends who loved her. If a member of your family, or a friend, disappeared suddenly, wouldn't you want to know what happened?
3. It's a fascinating story.
2. She had family and friends who loved her. If a member of your family, or a friend, disappeared suddenly, wouldn't you want to know what happened?
3. It's a fascinating story.
40
Identity politics
3
In the fight of survival, the lines of society drawn by more secure persons become blurry. It's nice to know someone like Evelyn, invisible in both birth and death, now has an end to her story and a name to her face. She was loved and missed, even if she didn't feel it.
134
Fascinating piece, well-written and humane. It is haunting how many persons slip from this life with barely a trace left behind. I can't help but imagine how this woman must have struggled with two large burdens--- her sexuality, which would have been regarded as deviant and perverse at the time, and her lack of education and credentials, which would have made the city's drug trade a tempting profession. The story would seem to suggest it was the intersection of these two things that led to her untimely death. R.I.P.
210
Wonderful article. So who stars in the movie? There has to be one, to bad Oprah is a little old for the role.
3
@Kim Messick: tens of million of African-Americans and poor people and yes, even transgender people navigated those same problems, over the past 75 years, and did NOT become drug dealers. Those things are not excuses for SELLING DRUGS. It is not true that there were no other jobs available, even back then, even for black women.
1
I would add that in the 1960s, race, even in Harlem, could be a factor. But I think you are generally correct, Kim. This woman made the best life for herself that she could. She dealt drugs, probably on a small scale, but she also apparently infringed on someone else's territory. Sadly, she paid a horrible price. I hope she is at peace now.
3
Unlike NJ reader David who wrote the unthought comment below; I commend the investigative journalism and all its work that went into this piece. Well done.
Stories need to be told, they define in part a historical geography of an area that in future forensic analysis can reveal significant data of particular cultural groups.
Stories need to be told, they define in part a historical geography of an area that in future forensic analysis can reveal significant data of particular cultural groups.
47
Wow, David! Lack compassion much? What I see is a young woman at the nexus of many of the issues coming to the fore during that time; drugs, race, homosexuality, gender and the Great Migration. She is clearly smart and enterprising within her narrow and segregated world and, despite the fact that she finally has a name, there is so much we still don't know about her. I can't help but wonder who she might have become and how many other unknown, unnamed people had equally compelling stories. Great research and great writing!
88
Excellent article. Fascinating journey of discovery by this author, and his employer - the NYT.
30
Fascinating! Every life has a story. Some are more storied than others and this one is one of them. Thanks for investigating and I can't wait to read more about this fascinating women who survived on instinct and grit in a male dominated criminal underworld of NYC in the 1960s. This is the stuff great movies are made of.
37
" This is the stuff great movies are made of."
Movies!
This is the stuff that life and death are made of.
Movies!
This is the stuff that life and death are made of.
6
It's this level of detailed investigation, research and writing of the New York Times that continues to captivate and mesmerize its audience. It's articles like this that have kept me reading and subscribing to the NYT for over 50 years. Nicely done Mr. Wilson.
126
What a fascinating article based on excellent research. You took an anonymous Jane Doe, essentially a number, and pieced together the life of a vibrant individual living on the edge and straddling boundaries.
68
"There but for the grace of God go I . . ." For me, without the knowledge that Russell Smith and "harry" have, my reaction to Ms. Moore's life and to the investigative reporter Mr. Delaquérière, is gut-felt. It's not mental, not socially aware in a formal sense. Except, I'm selfishly happy that through accident, which I call "circumstance and opportunity" and others call luck, I had a mother and father who aspired, worked, and took care of us, being parents as best they could.
All of us, like the identical twigs dropped into the identical spot at the same time in a flowing stream, are at this moment at one point in the mysterious flow of time, which we call life, are the products of circumstance and chance opportunity. Part of humanity struggles and is rewarded, each in its own measure according to circumstance; part struggles in vain.
We, all of us, are responsible for Ms Moore's tragedy, as a drunk driver who kills another is responsible for "vehicular homicide," rather than 1st-degree murder. We didn't mean to, but by our inaction, we've let it happen. Humanity's big questions are, will we be responsible for our environment, our planet Earth, and will we draw together everyone to make our collective lives worth the struggle?
All of us, like the identical twigs dropped into the identical spot at the same time in a flowing stream, are at this moment at one point in the mysterious flow of time, which we call life, are the products of circumstance and chance opportunity. Part of humanity struggles and is rewarded, each in its own measure according to circumstance; part struggles in vain.
We, all of us, are responsible for Ms Moore's tragedy, as a drunk driver who kills another is responsible for "vehicular homicide," rather than 1st-degree murder. We didn't mean to, but by our inaction, we've let it happen. Humanity's big questions are, will we be responsible for our environment, our planet Earth, and will we draw together everyone to make our collective lives worth the struggle?
30
This is a beautiful story, and tragic, and full of life. Thank you Mr. Wilson, what a great way to begin the day.
49
Sorry, but meh.
This was an extraordinary amount of resources spent to uncover not very much. I was expecting some kind of zinger, some sort of OMG plot twister--the deceased had a son or daughter, the deceased had done some sort of amazing thing while alive that heretofore had gone unrecognized, the deceased turned to drugs in reaction to some sort of traumatic event, or we found the killer. Instead, the deceased, so far as we know, was a dope dealer who ended up like a lot of dope dealers. I say this in full recognition that every human life is precious. But still.
"An investigation by The New York Times, using public records and data from those old arrest reports, has solved the mystery. In doing so, the investigation yielded a remarkable life story in reverse...."
I cannot agree. Every person interviewed barely remembers this person. This is the paper showcasing the importance of public records in sleuthing stuff out, and the doggedness of the reporter and supporting cast in doing so. But that is what NYT is supposed to do. The story was worth doing, yes. But it wasn't deserving of such centerpiece treatment absent a more granular look into this person's life.
This was an extraordinary amount of resources spent to uncover not very much. I was expecting some kind of zinger, some sort of OMG plot twister--the deceased had a son or daughter, the deceased had done some sort of amazing thing while alive that heretofore had gone unrecognized, the deceased turned to drugs in reaction to some sort of traumatic event, or we found the killer. Instead, the deceased, so far as we know, was a dope dealer who ended up like a lot of dope dealers. I say this in full recognition that every human life is precious. But still.
"An investigation by The New York Times, using public records and data from those old arrest reports, has solved the mystery. In doing so, the investigation yielded a remarkable life story in reverse...."
I cannot agree. Every person interviewed barely remembers this person. This is the paper showcasing the importance of public records in sleuthing stuff out, and the doggedness of the reporter and supporting cast in doing so. But that is what NYT is supposed to do. The story was worth doing, yes. But it wasn't deserving of such centerpiece treatment absent a more granular look into this person's life.
14
On the surface, I can appreciate your comments. But the mere fact that after so many, many hours of research, leg work, interviews, and a plethora of other avenues pursued, grave marker no. 537 now has a name, an identify, and some answers and closure for family members. Personally, I think one of the saddest things in life is seeing graves with headstones that read "UNKNOWN". This woman meant nothing to me. But she meant something to others, and because of that, I think finding out who was buried in grave marker no. 537 matters a great deal.
145
She was a person who lived and loved and was complex beyond outward appearances. At this point, it is still an unsolved murder of a woman who was "taken for a ride". Every once in a while, an article like this get passed to someone who remembers something or has a picture in a box somewhere. At least the family has some form of closure.
30
I think it's great that the Times features stories that do not serve as mirrors in which the privileged can see themselves.
26
Excellent story! Its unfortunate that it isn't possible to interview Nicky Barnes, who could likely fill in most of the holes in the latter part of Evelyn's life.
26
Great journalistic work; thank you.
Everyone's story starts at the accident of birth. I'm glad this woman is no longer a number. Whatever we do, whatever we did, our passing should at least have the simple mark of our name.
Everyone's story starts at the accident of birth. I'm glad this woman is no longer a number. Whatever we do, whatever we did, our passing should at least have the simple mark of our name.
77
So why is this dead low-rent criminal worth examining nearly 50 years later?
My only reaction is that her death left the city a better place.
My only reaction is that her death left the city a better place.
14
Maybe you should read some of the other comments, and consider broadening both your mind and your conscience.
66
And there we have it...one solid reason how we arrived in the current messy state of affairs.
First, consider that there is no evidence - none - in this article that this woman committed a serious crime. Perhaps she did. Perhaps not. Engaging in speculation, knee-jerk reactions and assumptions may be a fun pastime but they do not serve us individually or as a society.
Second, this was a person. Yep, that's right. Assuming she did commit a crime, even criminals are human beings. Refugees and immigrants are humans too. Muslims and Jews as well. That's humanity. And while we don't have to forgive folks for thier misdeeds, forgiveness and compassion are quite refreshing and therapeutic to both give and receive.
Third, there's something to be said about understanding how a person came to be in a particular situation. What went wrong in her life? Clearly she wound up hanging with the wrong crowd and she paid with her life. Can we as society learn something from her misfortune and bad decisions? Something we can teach our own children?
Finally, I admire the tenacity and technology of the police, and journalists to try to solve this half-century old case and bring closure to her friends and family. That is justice and compassion.
I guess I just choose to see things differently.
First, consider that there is no evidence - none - in this article that this woman committed a serious crime. Perhaps she did. Perhaps not. Engaging in speculation, knee-jerk reactions and assumptions may be a fun pastime but they do not serve us individually or as a society.
Second, this was a person. Yep, that's right. Assuming she did commit a crime, even criminals are human beings. Refugees and immigrants are humans too. Muslims and Jews as well. That's humanity. And while we don't have to forgive folks for thier misdeeds, forgiveness and compassion are quite refreshing and therapeutic to both give and receive.
Third, there's something to be said about understanding how a person came to be in a particular situation. What went wrong in her life? Clearly she wound up hanging with the wrong crowd and she paid with her life. Can we as society learn something from her misfortune and bad decisions? Something we can teach our own children?
Finally, I admire the tenacity and technology of the police, and journalists to try to solve this half-century old case and bring closure to her friends and family. That is justice and compassion.
I guess I just choose to see things differently.
161
. . . or at the very least, appreciating, if not admiring, Michael Wilson's quality of work, depth of investigation, and detailed style of writing.
35
Fascinating, well written true story about a resourceful person. My book The Wayward Girls of Samarcand, true story of North Carolina's residential program for "delinquent" young white females in the 1930s, includes references to Sleighton School for Girls. Kudos to Bowman Rosenwald School in Orangeburg, which served the black community. This sort of educational philanthropy is far superior to the current charter school movement (promoted by Betsy Vos, for profit) which siphons off tax dollars from real public schools.
76
Uhm, I believe you mean failed public schools.
Fascinating story.. I see a grand movie coming from this...
20
It's how modern technology can lead us toward a winding road uncovering the life of someone who may had stayed a Jane for. This investigative piece that paints a picture of a fascinating women with a complicated tale but one that should be told letting us get a glimpse of how some people may have lived in the past. Please keep us updated on the DNA results. I'm itching to learn more.
46
I love stories like these -- much more interesting than reading about Donald Trump, a fool and a scoundrel who is rapidly rendering himself, and his once great country, irrelevant.
166
Good choice of words.
3
Good story. I look forward to reading about the pending DNA resutls
90
Thank you so much for this splendid research into a terribly affecting story. Did the "war against drugs" doom this obviously talented but troubled young woman to an early death, or did it give her a chance to live a brief but glamorous life that would otherwise not have been available to her? Both apparently. Thank you again for rescuing her from anonymity and drawing attention to the dangerous but seductive life style that our childishly irrational demonization of drugs still supports today.
120
In many respects, the Evelyn Moore case mirrores the complexity and social importance of the death of Kitty Genovese. Many decades later, the issues generated by Ms. Genovese's homicide, continue to stimulate critical thinking & writing. Thanks are due Michael Wilson for employing the journalistic shoe leather to better understand the circumstances & significance of Ms. Moore's passing. How they bear on society's view of race, crime and anonymity deserve critical examination. Mr. Wilson's skills & experience qualify him to remain active in criminal justice journalism. Moreso, since his colleague Murray Weiss, another excellent crime reporter, no longer works for a NYC news outlet.
86
But so much of the initial report and subsequent discussion of the Kitty Genovese case turned out to be false...
11
@NYCSandi: It's true that much of the early analysis of the Genovese murder turned out to be wrong. With the extensive coverage of that, though, people are learning how to do better investigations and better writing.
8