Murdered Homeless Man Mourned

A Brooklyn homeless man, who had been robbed and beaten to death by two 15 year-olds last week was mourned by area residents today. The homeless man, William Pearson, was a neighborhood fixture, having once worked alongside some of residents and then sliding into homelessness after his mother's death. The pair of boys woke Pearson up from sleeping in an abandoned car and chased him for a few blocks, beating him in front of St. Gabriel's church, where he died. The brutal killing in East New York left many people wondering how the two teens could do such a thing; the Times' Campbell Robertson spoke to neighbors and workers in the area, as well as the boys' guardians (one boy's mother said he had bipolar disorder). A gas station employee simply explained, "This is East New York. That's all I need to say." Both boys have pleaded not guilty, admitting that each beat Pearson but blame the other for the killing.