Gothamist: Body Parts Found in Subway

Troy

Wed, 16 Mar 2005 08:42:15 -0500

If this murder was done to you or someone that you were involved with would it be nothing to joke about it and write about as if you are not involved at all and care nothing for human life. Where if anything is the respect for the victim or at least his family???

Erica

Sat, 26 Feb 2005 21:39:27 -0500

I am so frustrated!!! I couldn't even finish reading the rest of the comments. Would you have taking this incident so lighty had it been your brother, friend or mother??? I think not!!! I knew Rashawn. We attended high school together. This is someone who I know that you are talking about. Someone my other classmate knew as well. So what now? No one has anything to say about their crude careless behavior??? How about an apology??? You know one of the great things about being a journalist or about blogging is that you can keep your humanity when you do it? Where has yours gone??? You are a disgrace As for all of you who condoned this poor excuse for an article, I sincerely hope that nothing like this ever happens to anyone who you know or care about. It will be a damn shame to have people laugh off one of your loved ones murder as if it was an every day comedy sitcom!

nishani

Fri, 25 Feb 2005 11:34:16 -0500

i new this young man when he was in high school. and attended his funeral. you guys all act like it is ok to talk about his death like it didnt matter. well it mattered to us. It isnt a joke to find out your loved one was chopped up and thrown on the subway tracks carelessly. And let me remind you guys that his killer has not yet been found which is scary. so i do think you owe an apology and so do those who accepted the bad behavior and condoned the post!

cynthia

Tue, 22 Feb 2005 21:56:42 -0500

i'm from kansas and i can assure you you're much more likely to get shot for kumbaya-ing there than in new york. or lynched.

abba

Mon, 21 Feb 2005 17:03:00 -0500

I never advocated singing Kumbaya. If you want to make fun of people who were murdered, I won't stop you. I'll just point out that you're cold-hearted. Maybe this year you can go to one of the annual homicide survivors meetings and tell jokes about the victims.

L'Emmerdeur

Sun, 20 Feb 2005 09:48:16 -0500

Dear abba, I worked on the 80th Floor of the south tower, you feces-head, so I think I know a thing or two about losing friends to murder. Along with cancer and car accident. In Kansas, you can hold hands and Kumbaya yourselves to sleep every night. Try that in New York, and you get shot. Deservedly.

sigh

Sun, 20 Feb 2005 04:10:41 -0500

i don't think that anyone who has posted here has argued that murder and hacking bodies to pieces is hilarious. i agree with haha that if we can't laugh at things then we're done for. obviously we're not going to go up to the man's parents and laugh in their faces, obviously this is tragic, but what is more tragic is everyone wasting their time arguing about this (i suppose i fall into that category now but i don't think i'll be checking back here to see all the enraged responses to this post. call it irresposible and try comparing it to something having to do with tsunami victims, that will be tasteful indeed). perhaps this says what i'm trying to say a bit better: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/1997/08/08/DD23376.DTL

tom

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 19:37:15 -0500

Kojak-hehehe, I am a JW after all, it takes a lot to get me TO'd. :)

margaux

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 18:55:55 -0500

[B]a probable murder is not fodder for comedy. this man died in a gruesome manner. he did not die peacefully and he did not deserve to die in this manner. although the cause of death has not been examined yet, it is pretty clear that he suffered immensely. why do feel that you have to multiply the indignity and savagery of the situation? i'm pretty irreverent most of the time but this is not a story to be treated with mean-spirited and careless remarks. using the word "crap" is even worse than just the snide comments. i'm guessing the person posting this story is in his/her late 20's or early 30's. well, he/she is certainly as mature as his age would suggest. i would not be surprised if some of gothamist's readers and friends boycotted. don't forget what happened after the hot 97 tsunami song was played on the radio. this is just as bad.[/B]

Kojak

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 18:49:41 -0500

Dammit tom, theres just no way to piss you off! What the hell??

tom

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 18:21:48 -0500

Kojak-in case you didn't notice, I did mention that I am a JW, I am not joking about that. I guess the fact that I am smile so much has gotten to my brain now, so I can't play any board games. I'm also tone deaf so I'm afraid I don't sing much. ;) Mr.B- it's permissible, we are all God's creatures, right? jake- maybe I can come up with a better image, like a bag that has a sad face, and a tear rolling down it's little bag-face.

hijiki

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 16:56:12 -0500

if gothamist is too rough, you might enjoy nytimes.com.

abba

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 16:37:44 -0500

People who make sarcastic remarks and jokes about murder victims do it because (a) they are insensitive to begin with and (b) have never lost a loved one to murder. If they had, they would understand how awful it is, and that it isn't funny. A common reaction to losing someone to murder (or in an accident) is to wish it had happened to someone else. Why do good people get killed and bad people who make others miserable seem to be immortal? It's not a healthy way to feel, but you can't help it. "I wish it been him," you think, whether it's some jerk you see on the street or some subhuman you come across on Gothamist who's passionately lobbying for his God-given right to have a few laughs at the expense of another human being who was chopped into pieces. These people like to get in the last snarky word. They tell you to lighten up and go on their merry way. They argue that people can't honestly mourn every unknown and random murder victim out there, as if that is some sort of valid argument for lampooning them.

jake

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 15:49:38 -0500

i think the prose in the post is fine- it reports the facts of the story. i don't see anything that makes me consider pulling it down. if you would like to suggest another image, feel free. remember, though- we are limited to using non-copyrighted images.

la_depressionada

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 14:56:09 -0500

Emmerdeur: How does it feel to be the hottest guy on the internets? (If I weren't afraid of getting my eyes scratched by some chick, I'd stalk you like Krazy Kat.)

L'Emmerdeur

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 14:46:18 -0500

I woke up this morning, and every New Yorker had disappeared and been replaced by a person from Kansas. God, I miss the good old days when you had your morning coffee with a good front-page-murder joke. Now it's farking half-caff-skim-soy-latte people sharing half-caff-skim-soy-latte jokes over their half-caff-skim-soy-lattes. Could ya'll click your ruby heels three times and woosh on back to Topeka, bitte?

Mr. B.

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 14:44:18 -0500

Tom, I love you. Is that permissible in the JW faith?

Kojak

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 14:41:39 -0500

Tom, I'm offended that your Implying that Jehovah's Witnesses do nothing but pass out brochures. They also play board games and sings songs over and over. Even though I'm not a JW, I'm sure I'd be more offended if I was one. Hell I don't even think they'd be offended. They smile so damn much.

tom

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 14:20:47 -0500

I'm offended that you're offended about others being offended and...oh shoot, I'll just stick to handing out brochures.

Kojak

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 14:17:45 -0500

I never said or mean that blogs should be SOLELY insensitive, but its normal for most blogs to have these characteristics. Its refreshing for a site like this to have some real people behind it with their own opinions and feelings who aren’t afraid to post what they think. I'd rather have it stay the way it is then to turn it into something akin to nytimes.com. Its all about Flava!

hijiki

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 14:15:36 -0500

very questionable tone, but that bag graphic is really funny. i don't think anyone is offended by others' offense but they might be posting to voice support so gothamist can see that this 'total outrage' isn't shared by everyone.

Hilton

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 14:06:48 -0500

Kojak- I am not criticising this post because I believe Gothamist shouldn't be opinionated, ascerbic, witty, or at times obnoxious. As someone who has written for the site and who has seen it grow into the wonderful project it is now, I wouldn't expect anything less from Gothamist than to be funny and highly stylized. But Gothamist has never sunk to the wit of a PS2-addicted fourteen-year-old who giggles over true-life horror stories. My agenda for writing these comments is not to change the conceit, purpose, or message of the entire Gothamist site. My agenda is to persuade my friends at Gothamist to reconsider posting entries like this in the future. Your treatise on what blogs are about is intellectually offensive. Blogs are about community-building, information-sharing, and opinion-building. Few blogs are meant solely to be "insensitive," as you aver.

cynthia

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 13:53:14 -0500

what do you care if people are offended by it? isn't it just as ridiculous to get offended by others getting offended?

tom

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 13:41:23 -0500

This is a blog, personal opinions are a part of it. Maybe the cartoon bag appears to make light of things, but I don't see anything else wrong with the story ....oh, wait, yes I do, I'm offended at the portrayal of JW's, we're not all wacky. ;)

Kojak

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 13:35:00 -0500

Wow Ram. Amazing Please, enlighten us with your thoughts about the strange activity in Area 51 and the vast Right Wing Conspiracy?

Ram

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 13:31:16 -0500

Some people clearly think it's funny. But, what is really funny is that the denizens of Gothamist take this bait everytime. And how do they punish the editors of this toss --> by clicking away at the website, posting ridiculous comments, therby increasing the traffic to the site. More traffic = more cash from the advertisers. So, click away and keep that money roooooling in for the Gothamist staff!

Kojak

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 13:31:05 -0500

Hilton... "The world just don't move to the beat of just one Drum. What might be right for you, may not be right for some. You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have the Facts of LIFE!" This site is about NY news but it’s allowed to be opinionated, and insensitive as well. Thats what blogs are all about. If you dont like it, tough.

Hilton

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 13:24:28 -0500

There is a significant difference between a light tone and an offensive one. Making light of the smoking ban, the subway's inefficencies, or Brad and Jen's breakup is one thing. Making light of a gruesome murder by posing silly questions and choosing the story's graphic borders on offensive. And no, Gothamist is not the Lehrer News Hour, and it should not aim to be. That does not necessarily mean, however, that the site needs to abandon all decency and sensitivity.

gar

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 13:22:22 -0500

i for one could care less about boobies on tv or gay cartoon characters or bono saying a bad word on an awards show but i gotta admit that the cartoon bag and "crap" in the subway line were too much. the girl was hacked up and put in a bag! parts of her have not been found. this is funny?

Kojak

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 13:19:48 -0500

Haaahahaha. You just don't know me at all.

shawn

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 13:15:36 -0500

Since according to Kojak "respect for the dead and boobies go hand in hand" he must not get a lot of boobies in his hands.

Kojak

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 13:13:41 -0500

YES Shawn. Boobies and respect to the dead go hand in hand.

shawn

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 13:12:03 -0500

Yes, people who care about the respect given to an innocent murder victim must be very similar to people who care about naked boobies on TV.

Kojak

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 13:04:40 -0500

Reminds me of Nipplegate Ram. They might not have the same kind of views as the people who complained about Janet's breast, but they are the same kind of people in some respect.

Ram

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 12:59:32 -0500

The greatest thing about this story is the self-righteous outrage erupting from Gothamist readers. You think Gothamist has hit an all time low? People act like this is some sort of high-brow scholary journal. Give me a break. It's an on-line rag that doles out large helpings of goss, scandal, etc. And this clearly fits that mandate.

Announcement

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 12:54:56 -0500

C'mon, Tien Mao...show us your little cartoon bag face! We want an official statement on this bonfire!!!!

Kojak

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 12:52:59 -0500

My spider sense tells me that they're going to delete alot of posts. They do that sometimes when flame wars happen.

Mr. B.

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 12:48:10 -0500

Indeed. Are we done here?

Announcement

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 12:47:13 -0500

Do we have an official Gothamist statement about this? Anyone? Anyone? Is this thing on?

sandra

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 12:45:37 -0500

You're right, Mr. B. I am, in fact, an overweight gardening tool.

Kojak

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 12:45:02 -0500

I'm not outraged at all. This is all just too funny to me.

Mr. B.

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 12:43:26 -0500

I never said the situation was funny. I said the bag was. Look at him. His serious concern. But, he's a bag. A cartoon bag. And yes sandra, I must have snuff films bookmarked on my browser. Personal attacks, especially those based on speculation, are pointless. You fat hoe.

gar

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 12:43:05 -0500

I know, Kojak! Once there is a protest outside Gothamist World HQ you can set up a counter-protest to vent your equally-vehement outrage at the outrage! If you don't think the situation or the post warrants commenting, then stop commenting on the post.

Kojak

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 12:42:45 -0500

Sandra your obviously into me. I recommend that we hook up. E-mail me your number sugar. ;-)

Kojak

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 12:40:41 -0500

You know what? Enough, why don't we focus the situation and not how Gothamist posted it. Lets move on with our lives please thanx. If you’re so outraged why don't you set up a protest outside Gothamist World HQ? Better call for a support group too so we can comfort ourselves and battle this OUTRAGE!

sandra

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 12:40:18 -0500

do a search for slicknewyork (the first part of kojak's email) and you'll see just what kind of websites the guy seems to like.

Kojak

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 12:33:07 -0500

Of course a bag of body parts is the problem tactLESS, but the outrage on this site about how this post was written is not and SHOULD not be seen as a problem we all have to piss out pants about. Don't be such a baby.

gar

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 12:33:07 -0500

"Controversy is what makes us human," said haha. Was that Shakespeare?

sandra

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 12:31:12 -0500

haha and mr. b, i'm sure you have plenty of snuff films bookmarked on your browser, so why don't you find a good one and have yourselves a good laugh? i mean, if you don't know the people in the snuff films, then they must be fine to look at, right? c'mon gothamist own up to this one

Tact

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 12:29:45 -0500

Funny you think I have a serious problem but a bag of body parts isn't a serious matter to you. Yeaaaahhhh, I have the problem.

Mr. B.

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 12:25:43 -0500

I think everyone has the right to be offended or not offended. Problems arise when we can't live together in our differences. Controversy is what makes us human. And that "Uh Oh!" garbage bag is f-ing hilarious.

Tact

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 12:20:54 -0500

It's not right to just allow you scumbags to have your fun. If we did that, we'd be heading ourselves back in time. We should just be okay with tackiness or just ignore it? I don't conduct my life like that but if you think it's fine to piss all over the place and just ask people to step over it if they don't like it, then you were clearly raised by wolves. Haha being the pack-leader, I see.

HR

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 12:12:08 -0500

I hate when people think they have the right not to be offended. Stop reading! click your mouse! change the channel, sh1t, read something else, f'ing go away and let us pervs enjoy the sick stuff.

shash

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 12:11:36 -0500

Haha, did you know the Central Park jogger? Lots of people were outraged about that crime, although I doubt they all knew her personally.

Kojak

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 12:10:09 -0500

Jinkies! What a Mystery! I guess its my job to find out Signed, Kojak

Mr. B.

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 12:07:42 -0500

The only thing I find offensive is the term "other crap" offhandedly referring to body parts as "crap." But Tein has a good point. Where IS the rest of the body?

Steve

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 12:05:43 -0500

Do you have to know the victim to think what happened is disgusting? If that's the threshold for compassion then we're in trouble. Haha, your comment proves the point. Would you be outraged if you knew the victim? This is a real person who was brutally murdered and her family is probably in agony. Why would Gothamist make light of the situation? Again, I wonder if the graphic would have been chose and the jokes would have been made had this bag of body parts been found outside a LES bar instead of in an outer-borough subway line. No, Gothamist isn't a news site, it's a blog. But if it's inconsistent and insensitive in the tone it takes with these types of crimes, then that should be pointed out. Especially since the site is otherwise so socially conscious and charitable in pointing out a lot of the good in the city. Gothamist, take down or fix the post and apologize.

Kojak

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 11:53:52 -0500

Those Wacky Jehovah's Witnesses. They find ONE dead body in a bag and suddenly it’s the end of the world. I agree that the post above (Including mine) was pretty insensitive. But i would stop short from calling it an outrage.

Steve

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 11:49:36 -0500

I think you should apologize to Rashawn Brazell's family and perhaps make a donation in her name to a charity. I just don't think you would have joked about Nicole Dufresne being hacked up and packed into a garbage bag. If you had, you would have been rightly called on it. It's disgusting. Considering how much you ran about Nicole's memorial service and the scholarship set up in her name, I think an apology, at the very least is in order.

duh

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 11:48:08 -0500

Being trite earns a few laughs from people like "haha." But this is irresponsible journalism. Gothamist should make more of an effort to stand apart from the rest.

g

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 11:42:00 -0500

WTF? Is this story a joke? Trying to get some chuckles from a murder? Gothamist - you've reached a new low.

Tact

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 11:27:52 -0500

Exactly, Joe. I totally agree. This man was an aspiring singer.

get some class

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 11:26:44 -0500

Gothamist should know better. This story was written in bad taste for a cheap laugh.

Joe

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 11:23:44 -0500

I think if it were a pretty, young actress murdered, chopped up and stuffed in a bag found on the subway tracks, this post would have had a different tone. Something about the anonymous elements of this crime seem to leave it open for a light tone, and I'm not sure it was a good choice.

Tact

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 11:16:48 -0500

Sorry...young man (according to the Post).

Tact

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 11:12:28 -0500

God, you guys need to not degrade this tragedy. It is horrible, end of story. That train stop is not far from where I live. If you think this kind of thing is somehow amusing, you're really out of touch. My thoughts go out to the young woman's family.

rob

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 10:45:19 -0500

Anybody ever seen the korean detective movie "Tell Me Something" (2001)? The murders start off just like this.

lolony

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 10:14:51 -0500

How insensitive can you guys be? "What kind of other crap is on the subway tracks"...The victim is a human being not just a bag of body parts, an opportunity to be cute for chrissake, no different from Nicole DeFresne. Oh yeah, remember the memorial and sad coverage about that? You guys are no better than Fox News if you follow the trend of lazy writing.

Darieus

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 09:28:33 -0500

I totally smelled a dead body last night at the back of the uptown 1/9 station at Columbus Circle.

cooter

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 09:08:46 -0500

Yeah snarky is one thing totally insensitive to someones loved one being cut up in a bag is another.Sorry Gothamist gotta call you out on this one.

cynthia

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 08:26:51 -0500

i agree with hilton, the tone of this story is really wrong.

Kojak

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 08:22:56 -0500

lol Nice pic of the bag with the surprised face. It makes this entire tragedy easier to deal with.

Hilton

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 08:21:24 -0500

To be honest, I don't see how this story deserves a cute tone. The story is disgusting and depressing.

Jen

Fri, 18 Feb 2005 07:59:45 -0500

The police say there were drill bits and stuff in the bag as well! And the Jehovah's Witness who found the bag said that this "must mean the end of the world" - as if the Watchtower folks needed more ammo!