Gothamist: Grad Student's Murder Scares City

T

Wed, 22 Nov 2006 22:36:19 -0500

This comment may be coming in a little late, but a friend of mine was just assaulted by a bouncer two weeks ago for no reason. Apperently he just decided to take out a bad day on a girl who weights a third of his weight. That is absurd, everyone who was in shock about this murder story should write to your legislators. Some folks are trying to pass a law in Albany to rule that every bar/club should have a camera in the entrance and exit area. I don't think that's much to ask after these horrendous stories, and it's safer for all citizens.

T

Wed, 22 Nov 2006 22:32:51 -0500

Jane

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 11:52:52 -0500

As a parent, that has to be your worst nightmare. You're right, this has absolutely taught me to cherish my loved ones even more. As Imette's mother said, you never know when... I feel that's one thing I can actually do in a situation that feels so sad, so hopeless.

Henry

Thu, 23 Mar 2006 13:41:19 -0500

Jane: I think most of us (both men and women) are on the same page of sadness and shock. Just that men have a different ways of expressing their emotions. If there are any implications of "blaming" Imette, it is out of love and care for her as fathers, friends, and even as strangers. Basically all of us feel deep empathy toward Imette and her family. I have a daughter of similar age (younger) as Imette. That seems to be the reason that this news really hit home for all of us. Imette just could have been our schoolmate, friend, daughter... We all need to be more caring and loving toward our family, relatives, colleagues, friends, strangers among us, et.al from now on. That is what this news has taught me. Best regards, Henry

Jane

Thu, 23 Mar 2006 11:38:09 -0500

You're right, it shouldn't be a male/female thing. But I have little patience for men who blame Imette, less patience than I do for women who do the same thing. Men should be protective in these situations, not side with each other like it's a forth grade kick ball game. But I am astonished to see how many people (men especially)who have basically been attacking Imette, and showing little or no compassion. Thank you Henry, for showing how you really feel about it and not being accusatory towards Imette. That's all I was getting at. What you said.

Henry

Wed, 22 Mar 2006 15:18:06 -0500

This is not the battle between males and females. 1. We all agree that the murderer should die slowly and a thousand times to pay for this crime. 2. We all feel very very sad for Imette that such a young life ended so abruptly. 3. We all wish that we could go back in time that (1) she might be a bit more careful and alert, (2) her friend could have stayed with her and ensured her safety, (3) any person near her could have helped her to get home safely...These were just painful regrets, not blames from my perspective. 4. We all can be a little peaceful and considerate/respectful toward others and make this a better world.

Joe

Wed, 22 Mar 2006 12:17:45 -0500

I'm not focusing on rape here I'm talking overall. If you're sleeping soundly at home and a robber breaks in and overpowers you then there's not much you can do. It's through no fault of your own. If you head into danger even when you see it then who's to blame? What good is knowing and not doing? What good is seeing without processing through your brain and taking action? True maybe Imette, though her own naivete, never knew how to spot or look out for these things, but if that's the case, then it's because she was never coached or taught properly. Then again maybe she was coached by her mom but never heeded her advice. So who's fault is that then? That's cute, kick my balls, that's real constructive. Do me a favor and save the drama for your momma, don't take your anger out on me. Focus that energy when it comes to the real thing.

Shirly

Wed, 22 Mar 2006 10:55:53 -0500

No shit shmuck. The self defense tips are most appreciated, but I am afraid that you haven't uttered a single thing that 99.9% of all women don't already know. The point, listen again, the point is who are you trying to BLAME. That's it. And if you're trying to blame Imette or any other woman for her so called "role" in being raped, then you deserve a good swift kick where your balls are supposed to be. It's cowardly and sick.

Joe

Tue, 21 Mar 2006 14:12:08 -0500

Responsibility for what?? For killing? Well no shit Shirley, that's why he's a convicted felon and of course he deserves to be electrocuted. We already know that part. Women are usually raped more than men but that doesn't mean men get away either - men get severely beaten or killed. When you talk about a crime the target is usually one of weakness. Weak, easy targets, soft targets can be either men or women. There are weak men and women. This isn't some incredible concept that MEN made up for women. Going over this again and again is useless with you because you are so damn dense. If you don't believe me ask any police officer, law enforcement person, etc etc what is the proper way to protect oneself? What is the proper mindset one should adopt?

Liz

Tue, 21 Mar 2006 11:46:04 -0500

People talk about her resposibility blah blah blah, but never happen to mention responsibility of the ACTUAL PERPETRATOR! HELLOOO! What is up with that? Really. Also, to the lowlife who called her a white princess... A) she was VENEZUELAN and B) grew up in Mission Hill, a big GHETTO. So take your retard-dumb, rapist mentality, white-hating ass out of here. Pig.

Jane

Tue, 21 Mar 2006 11:20:59 -0500

First of all, anyone who thinks rape is not a gender issue really needs to have their head examined. The men who aren't busy raping women, are those who feel the need to inform woman of the error of HER ways. Where did this woman go wrong? Those precious few men who actually know better are too lame to speak up anyhow. I'd like to hear from ONE man, just one who isn't willing to attack Imette in blame. Hello, anybody?

Henry

Mon, 20 Mar 2006 16:07:02 -0500

In general, parents do have the responsibility of educating, protecting, and warning their children on crucial matters like this (e.g., do not get drunk and leave alone in the middle of the night, for both men and women). It is entirely a different issue when parents allow freedom/independence for their children and when parents do not even impart some common-sense into their children. If the person does not listen to their parents at all, then the entire fault lies on such a person. You are right that the person is eventually responsible for his/her own behavior. Please read/understand what people are "actually" saying before you captitalize every word and launch emotional attacks (btw, regrets do not equal faults).

Joe

Mon, 20 Mar 2006 12:20:17 -0500

What part of men AND women did you not understand? Did I say it was strictly a WOMEN issue? I said men AND women. Quit being so quick to focus on it as gender issue and look at it from a broader perspective.

Jane

Mon, 20 Mar 2006 11:43:54 -0500

I love how as soon as a women is viciously raped and murdered, men think it's a good time to start handing out safety tips. Like we didn't know she was in a dangerous situation. Gee, thanks for enlightening us! The thing is, what's your point? Are you trying to convict Imette? Okay, go ahead, dig up her tortured body, drag it up onto the stand and show us how smart you are "men". Convict the guilty, protect the innocent. She was young, naive and innocent of any crime, and she paid more dearly than any of us could possibly imagine. Let her rest in peace. Where is your distain or animosity for the rapists? Why do we hear nothing of that and just condemnation of Imette?

Joe

Mon, 20 Mar 2006 10:28:12 -0500

It isn't UP TO WOMEN, it's UP TO THE INDIVIDUAL. MEN AND WOMEN. Why don't you try getting the message across to men then? Think you can do that? You think you can cover every pocket of society and change that way of thinking? Unless you can zap everyone with a brainwashing ray of some sort it won't go away. This problem starts at home, with the parents, with upbringing and unless you can attack the root of that problem your suggestion to stop the madness at the source is simply impossible. You speak of fluffy theories and so forth while the problem is happening right now. You cannot count on that because change may never happen in your lifetime. You can only do what is right to safeguard yourself. Being a victim is one thing and participating in reckless behavior that could be endangering to yourself is another thing. Knowing how capable you are in handling yourself is important.

AKD

Sun, 19 Mar 2006 01:16:45 -0500

Reading these comments, I wonder, why is it all up to the women? Why can't a young women go out and go bar-hopping in what sounds like a good neighborhood? People have all these rules for women: don't drink, don't walk alone, don't leave your drink, don't flirt with a guy you don't know, don't wear short skirts, etc. Maybe if people spent as much time trying to get the message across to men that no means no, there would be less rapes and murders. Why should the people being victimized have their behavior judged instead of the people doing the victimizing?

Ryu

Sat, 18 Mar 2006 19:08:27 -0500

Denise, there is no god so don't bother praying. As painful as it may be for her family, she's gone forever. No soul, no heaven, no hell, nothing. Thousands of people put themselves in potentially harmful situations everyday with drugs and/or alcohol and, as statistics will show, some suffer dire consequences. It is for this reason that I do neither. I want to be in control of myself at all times and not inhibited by their effects. Imette got herself into the position to have this crime happen to her by getting drunk off her ass, despite knowing the dangers of being out late amongst strangers without her friends around. Sure, it's a tragedy but put herself in that situation. Seriously, how many alcohol-related rapes are reported every year? Thousands and thousands. Still, these idiots succumb to peer pressure and spend half their time getting drunk or wasted. As intelligent as she was supposed to have been, she made some really stupid choices and unfortunately, she paid the price for them.

Jane

Sat, 18 Mar 2006 11:19:32 -0500

Denise (and others), I can't believe someone would say something like that about her. It's disgusting and not even worth arguing about. It's evil. But after reading the above post I see I am not the only one who still thinks about Imette, as I do every day. I don't understand why I am still haunted by this horrible tragedy. I wish I understood. Why do we? Do you know?

denise

Fri, 17 Mar 2006 17:47:38 -0500

FIRST OF ALL YOU DON'T KNOW THIS GIRL TO BE CALLING HER A WHORE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A WHORE TO GET RAPED OK, RICK, WOMEN DON'T HAVE TO GO OUT AT NIGHT TO GET RAPED, YOU HAVE WOMEN THAT GET RAPED IN THE DAY TIME. IT IS NOT HER MOTHERS FAULT THAT HER DAUGHTER GOT RAPED AS SOMEONE STATED HERE, HOW CAN YOU BE SO IGNORANT, NOT ALL KIDS LISTEN TO THEIR PARENTS, SO THAT MEANS BECAUSE I GO OUT AND WANT TO HAVE A DRINK AND GET RAPED THAT'S MY MOTHERS FAULT , ARE YOU FOR REAL???!!! THIS IS A BIG CITY, NOT ALL CAB DRIVERS ARE CAB DRIVERS, NOT ALL COPS ARE COPS, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS CITY. I DO BELIEVE THAT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT REALLY HAPPENED THAT NIGHT, AND I THINK HER FRIEND IS LYING, THER'S A LOT OF COVER UP IN THIS HORRIBLE CRIME, EVEN THE PEOPLE THAT WORK AT THE BAR. I CAN'T GO TO SLEEP AT NIGHT, BECAUSE EVERY TIME I GO TO SLEEP I THINK IF THIS IS HAPPENING TO SOMEONE RIGHT NOW, AND IF THIS GUY WAS NOT THE ONE THAT KILLE HER, THERE'S A CRAZY PERSON OUT THERE KILLING PEOPLE RUNNING THE STREETS, SOMEONE OR IT COULD BE MORE THAN ONE PASSING RIGHT BY YOU, AND HAVE NO IDEA THAT IS A KILLER. I SEE HER FACE WHEN I GO TO SLEEP, I AM ALSO A FEMALE, I AM 24 YEARS OLD, AND LATELY I DON'T WANT TO GO OUT AT NIGHT, EVEN IF IS WITH PEOPLE, BECAUSE I BELIEVE WHEN IMETTE CARMELLA ST. GUILLEN WAS HURT , THEY HURT EVERY FEMALE IN THE WORLD, INCLUDING ME. I JUST HOPE THAT SHE'S IN HEAVEN, AND GOD IS HEALING ALL WOUNDS AND PROTECTING HER AND HER FAMILY, AND I JUST WANT TO TELL PEOPLE HERE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, DON'T TALK BAD ABOUT HER, SHE'S A HUMAN BEING, SHE WAS A DAUGHTER, A SISTER, A GRAND-DAUGHTER, ETC... AND THEY SHE WAS KILLED I DON'T EVEN WISH THAT ON MY WORST ENEMY, SO PLEASE STOP SAYING THAT SHE'S A WHORE, STUPID, BECAUSE THIS COULD HAPPEN TO YOUR MOTHER, SISTER, DAUGHTER, OR SPOUSE.LET US FEMALES WAKE AND UNDERSTAND THAT TRAGICALLY AND AS SAD AS IT MAY SOUND, WE ARE NO SAFE, ANYWHERE WE GO, THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE. LETS JUST BECAREFUL OUT THERE, AND PRAY TO GOD EVERY DAY THAT WE NEVER HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS. REST IN PEACE IMETTE!!!

Jane

Fri, 17 Mar 2006 13:58:15 -0500

As someone else stated, I don't know why, but for some reason this story still haunts me. I don't understand it, because I never knew her. But I still think about it a lot. What's the deal with this? Anyone else feel the same? Maybe it's because of how horrific it was, I'm not sure. It's just so sad.

joe

Thu, 16 Mar 2006 21:33:42 -0500

That phase lasted for less than a few months and is ancient history to me and its been ages. Why did I quit? Because one it was a waste of time and money and two, I got a lot of headaches from fights, drunk morons and worrying about the strange characters in the streets. I made a conscious decision to stop. I don't rely on luck because luck is insubstantial. When a person makes a choice to increase the odds in their favor then its smarts. Nobody is born dumb but you can learn to be smart.

Rick

Thu, 16 Mar 2006 17:50:51 -0500

Yes, MOST people make it alive, but we're always reading about or seeing on the news the results of people getting drunk or high out of their skull. Thousands die because of drunk drivers. Thousands die of drug overdoses. Thousands get raped because they're black out or are too drunk to stop it. I feel no sympathy for people who put themselves in these situations. I'm tired of all these sob stories on all the talk shows and in the papers. They want fun, they want danger, they want excitement, they want to live on the edge, fine, but don't expect everyone to shed tears when you fuck up.

AKD

Wed, 15 Mar 2006 19:24:34 -0500

I have to say I love it when someone admits to bar-hopping and drinking and then says that someone else is "stupid" for doing the same thing. Most people have gone through the heavy drinking/going to bars phase. However, most people get out alive. It doesn't make them any smarter than the people that get raped or killed, it just makes them luckier.

Joe

Tue, 14 Mar 2006 09:50:49 -0500

Hey dude it's a cultural problem, not a racial one. There are tons of men and women from all ethnic backgrounds that do this. I know this because I live around bars and clubs and I've been to them as well. Besides I think she's of Spanish not Anglo descent.

Rick

Mon, 13 Mar 2006 21:35:01 -0500

Imette was just another stupid naive white whore who was brought up thinking she was some invincible princess. She thought it would be fun to get drunk off her ass and stay behind while her friends left. She put herself in that situation and she paid the consequences. She knew, like everyone else, that getting drunk could lead to things like car accidents, public intoxication arrests, unruly behavior, poor decision making, susceptibility to being tricked/coerced into bad situations, etc., yet she threw caution to the wind. I have no sympathy for those who intentionally put themselves in such situations. How many stupid white women do we have to see on TV who end up dead because they thought it would be a good idea to get wasted and hang out with complete strangers? They made their bed, and they had to lie in it.

Henry

Mon, 13 Mar 2006 15:27:37 -0500

When such things happen, there bound to be many regrets. The dead has no chance of regrets. The killer is not incuded since he is an animal, belonging to Satan. The mother should have taught/warned her more often. The friend should have been more caring. The people at the bar that day should be more alert. The public are full of regrets for such a young and bright life vanished suddenly. The bottom line is that this world always has good people (the majority) and bad people (much fewer). Caution and wisdom have to be excercised for all of us and for poeple around us (that we can help) all the time. If this lesson is taken seriously by all, Imette has not died in vain.

Joe

Mon, 13 Mar 2006 11:31:25 -0500

I don't drink and I've never placed myself in a bad situation from drinking but that doesn't make me any morally superior than the next person. It's not a moral issue it's a safety issue and it's about knowing how capable you are dealing with threats. And Rick, it's not a race thing because there are plenty of black, hispanic, asian ppl that do this too. Yes you're right, it also has to do with how "lucky" you are. You have to be at the right time and at the right place before you strike gold. Exposing yourself and making yourself even more vulnerable than you already are will certainly increase your chances of winning.

AKD

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 21:01:15 -0500

The comments I've read that Immette contributed to her horrible torture and death by being drunk and alone saddens me. I guess there are people out there that have never been drunk, never had their judgement impaired by drinking or never put themselves in a bad situation because of drinking and I guess they can claim moral superiority. However, that is not most young people. So before you judge Immette, think about times you have been drunk, times you have walked home alone and times you have put yourself in potentially dangerous situations and realize that you not ending up like Immette is simply the luck of the draw. It could've happened to any of us.

AKD

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 21:00:34 -0500

nick

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 17:11:09 -0500

the reason why she was raped was the lack of prostitues in this city. Rudy pretty much eliminated them. Because of that, this rapist who would have probably visited a hooker if one was availiable rather chose an innocent college student to take out his sexual frustration on. It is no accident that neveda has the lowest sexual crimes/ rapes in the whole country.

Rick

Fri, 10 Mar 2006 18:18:20 -0500

She thought it would be fun to hang out at the bars all night and get drunk out of her mind. Foolish decisions often have horrible consequences. White women are stupid so they deserve what they get. I'm tired of hearing all these sob stories about women being abused, cheated on, or killed when they intentionally put themselves in the situations for it to happen. If you go out to a bar to get drunk off your ass with strangers, you're asking for trouble and she got what she asked for.

Joe

Fri, 10 Mar 2006 16:46:31 -0500

Do I have to spell it out for you? This isn't a rule meant for females only LANA. This applies to EVERYONE. EVERYONE. And you're wrong, you should be watchful at ALL times, not just 3AM or 4AM in the morning. Are all your friends deadly military commandoes or something? Are you absolutely, positively sure you are safe at all times? You can't assume anything, at least not in this stinking city. This is what I'm trying to get across. You don't have sit home and hide and no one is telling you how to live your life. What you do is your own business. But you should not walk around oblivious to your surroundings and certainly should not place yourself in high-risk situations especially if you can avoid it. When you place yourself in precarious, risky situations like this it raises the stakes. When you're a hot chick, like Imette was, that raises it even higher. I still can never understand to this day, why ANYONE would want to even jog at 5AM in the morning inside Central Park. Both men and women can be weak too, not many people can claim to be walking TNT. If you're not walking dynamite then you really need to use your head a little more and even the odds. I'm not just blowing smoke out of my ass, I'm speaking as a victim myself ok, only I didn't pay with my life. When you are victimized, you really start to think and realize that maybe, just maybe things could have been different had I just avoided that or acted a little more sensibly. This applies to many many cases, not all but many. This isn't about being paranoid, it's about self-preservation and approaching an unsafe world with caution. You have nothing to lose by not taking that chance and everything to lose if you do and something happens. NYC is a city that never sleeps and neither do the criminals so keep that in mind.

Lana

Fri, 10 Mar 2006 15:25:29 -0500

How about NOT going out to bars and getting piss drunk? How about we make it a rule that young women should not be allowed outside without being accompanied by a male relative? Do you realize how ridiculous that sounds? Yes, getting "piss drunk" is probably bad, but it is part of most young people's lives, just like many other things that are "bad". I agree that there are things that people can do to keep themselves safer but at which point do you draw the line? 3AM/4AM may sound like it is a reasonable time to be watchful, but NYC is truly a city that never sleeps and there are plenty of people outside at that time, especially on a Friday night. I have personally always felt safe, and I never thought twice about walking home alone at night. Obviously, now that this happened, I probably will think twice but really before this happened most people, including Imette, did not think that much about safety. I just cannot believe how many people are blaming the victim in this case. This is not her fault, nor her friends' fault. The only person that is at fault here is the awful sick animal that did this, and I would also blame anybody who withheld any information that could have helped in investigating this heinous crime. I hope this person is caught and punished and I think it unfortunate that he will not feel as much pain as this poor girl did.

Joey

Fri, 10 Mar 2006 13:48:39 -0500

I'll give you all one better. How about NOT going out to bars and getting piss drunk? I mean what exactly is the purpose of that? What is this culture's obsession with booze and partying and ruckus? I've been through that phase, hopping from one bar to the next and frankly it bored me, not to mention the fact that I threw a lot of money away on booze. So I stopped. Do you know who else sits around in bars and guzzles beers? Bums, tramps, whores and other unsavory types. Do you know who hangs around in the darkened streets at 4 in the morning? Bums, drunks and other unsavory types. I don't hear peace and quiet around the streets and around bars, All I hear are fights, cursing, shouting. Give me a break. This girl was just setting herself up for disaster. She walked straight into the Lion's Den. People praise this girl like she's Albert Einstein. Are you kidding me? How smart can St. Guillen be if she's spending her time in bars? I don't care how many degrees and PhD's you have, once you start playing with fire you will eventually get burned. It's just a matter of when and HOW. All it takes is that one time and you lose your life. Absolutely no common sense and it's a damn shame that this happened. Hopefully we've all learned a lesson.

Elizabeth Valenza

Fri, 10 Mar 2006 11:32:39 -0500

First off i want to say how much I am glad to see that the Gothamist is allowing people to express their concern and opinion about this topic. I can't really point out what exactly it is that makes me so upset about this case when every single day there are tragedies throughout the whole world and one persons tragedy is no worse or no less than another. However I am devastated by this story. I don't know Imette St.Guillen personally, so why can't I let it go? I'll tell you why...because she is a human being like any one of us, no matter what age or gender the victim is, I imagine if it were my own life, my children my mother, sister, brother, father or a friend. But simply put she was somebody. It wasn't enough for that monster to rape and kill her but he had to torture her. I have heard many stories that make me sick to my stomach and even cry for complete strangers who are victims and I just can't stand to just let it go. I, like many of you think , "well it's a tragedy, but what can we do? life must go on." But NO. Thats the problem, we just move on and so will these crimes, they will continue. People we need to speak up. Write, express yourself, for starters I would like to say that I read yesterdays Daily News paper and I also felt that Imette C. St. Guillen should NOT be forgotten. As I was reading I saw a section where her ex-beau had expressed that cameras should be placed in every bar and I thought well thats a start, thats a very good idea and it should be made into a law, like assemblyman Felix Ortiz said he would sponsor. Therefore I wan't to express that I too would like to see that Imette C. St. Guillen, will always be remembered. Thank-you gothamist for letting us express ourselves through your website.

King Kong

Tue, 07 Mar 2006 04:21:41 -0500

Mr. Eliot, I think that's a very relevant point. At the same time, I can say that if I were the bouncer, I wouldn't submit myself to DNA testing in such a high profile case, especially given the way the guy has been portrayed in the media. He's all but convicted in the court of public opinion and the police would undoubtedly like to wrap up this case with a quick arrest since absent the bouncer, the leads are probably cold. I would immediately assume some evidence tampering and with a rap sheet like his plus the inability to afford good legal counsel, a conviction is almost guaranteed with a link like DNA. Unfortunately, it makes him look more suspicious. There are a number of things that could have occurred after she left and the bouncer may have been involved in part of them...again, we know very little about the victim's private life. She will be the angel since she is a speechless victim. It was a horrendous crime and the person(s) responsible should be held fully accountable, but I'm not so sure that the bouncer is that person - or even that the person acted alone...

Sad nyc dude

Tue, 07 Mar 2006 02:13:41 -0500

As a bouncer who works at a NYC nightclub I can't help but wonder what the owner's of this bar were thinking, clearly having not done any kind of background check on their bouncers. Where I work we are all registered with the state and our fingerprints are on file as well. After reading all these ' that girl wasn't smart' posts I can't help but wonder about her toxicology results to see if she was slipped some kind of rophynol, or date rape drug. On saturday night, I noticed a young girl, maybe 21, making out with her (I thought then) boyfriend in a stairwell at the club. An hour later she was hanging on some asian guy's shoulder, and then a half hour later was grinding her butt against a young african american guy. I couldn't help but wonder what happens to all these girls when they leave the club, sometime inebriated, sometimes with a new 'friend'. Where I work we have emt's on staff, and try our best to keep someone who is intoxicated with one of their friends they arrived at the club with, and I think we do pretty well, but there is a fine line- to what extent are we responsible? If I ask some drunk girl's date if he knows her, if he arrived with her, and try to get the impaired person on their way home safe. Yes, I agree there are many horrible crimes in the city, and that lots of even worse crimes happen and are buried on the back pages. An hispanic grad student who studies criminology got a lot of coverage. Instead of bickering and blaming the victim maybe some good can come from this horrible event, though at this time I have no idea what that could be.

destiny

Tue, 07 Mar 2006 01:44:40 -0500

I HOPE THAT IMETTE IS RESTING IN PEACE!!! I DO BELIEVE THAT IF SHE STOOD IN THE BAR BY HERSELF, KNOWING THAT IT WAS VERY LATE, SHE MUST HAVE BEEN WITH SOMEONE ELSE, OR SOMEONE MADE CONVERSATION WITH HER, I THINK SHE LEFT WITH SOMEONE ELSE, I DON'T THIMK THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SHE EVER BEEN TO THE FALLS, AND I THINK THE PERSON THAT KILLED HER MUST HAVE SEEN HR BEFORE, IF THEY FOUND HER WITH A QUILT, IT WAS PROBABLY FROM A MOTEL, WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE DON'T KNOW HER PRIVATE LIFE, SHE PROBABLY WAS GOING TO MEET UP WITH A GUY. I JUST WISH THE FIND THE PERSON OR THE PEOPLE THAT DID THIS TO HER.

GeorgeTS

Mon, 06 Mar 2006 23:59:11 -0500

The Bouncer was the last person seen talking with Imette and also the only employee to refuse a DNA test as reported by CBS at 11:00pm 3-6-06

Mike

Mon, 06 Mar 2006 12:24:04 -0500

Although I agree that a girl leaving her friend alone when she's drunk is a BAD idea no matter what, you have to take it into context. They weren't kicking back 40's in an abandoned tenament and her friend said, "I think I'm gonna call it night, you stay here ok?" They were drinking cocktails in SoHo. I work in SoHo (1 block up from The Falls), and I can't even remember the last time I heard about a crime in the area more serious than a parking violation. I would almost feel comfortable letting my grandmother walk around there at 4am. Her friend tried to get her to leave with her, then she called her when she got home to make sure she was alright and asked when she was coming home. When I'm out drinking with girls, I have put them in cabs back to Brooklyn all the time and then make sure they call me when they're back safe. Under the circumstances, I think her friend took all reasonable precautions and she shouldn't be seen as even partially responsible for what happened.

Squasher

Mon, 06 Mar 2006 03:29:46 -0500

I'm a native New Yorker who has seen and suffered a fair share of crime in town. I am completely enraged at the person or persons who committed this crime, so pardon me whie I express my anger about it. It is one of the most self-centered, merciless acts of violent, evil-inspired hate I have ever seen ANYWHERE. What gets me is the unspeakable cruelty of the asshole (or assholes) who committed these acts. Whoever did this is an evil, worthless piece of sewerslime who deserves to have has balls sawed off slowly with a rusty butter knife and stuffed into his mouth, then hung naked upside-down by a bungee cord tied around one ankle from the Brooklyn Bridge, with his head just in the filthy, icy-cold water so his struggling dunks him up and down for days until he drowns. He's not even good enough for the fish to pick at his body. Listen up, ASSHOLE: the LAW is on your trail of evidence and they are going to flush you out of your hole. Your days are numbered. Someone is going to kick your ass without mercy (just like you did to Imette) either in this life or the one to come. The wrath of a righteous God burns WHITE HOT against you. You think you are a big shot, so powerful, but you're just a a puny little L-O-S-E-R, a pathetic coward who attacks small, defenseless women because you have nothing else to live for. Fear for your life because you are gonna lose it, painfully and SOON. Don't fuck with New York, you devil. Kill yourself NOW before you get caught, because if you don't kill yourself, when you get convicted a whole lotta people are gonna come after you and destroy you, and you'll see what you did felt like, you LITTLE FUCK!

phatty2006

Sun, 05 Mar 2006 19:44:11 -0500

i grew up near the same neighborhood imette came from. it's a working class inner-city neighborhood with a relatively high crime rate. folks getting jumped,purses snatched,drug dealing are everyday occurances.she grew up in an apartment not a house. her mother has a strong working class boston accent.her mother's long time boyfriend is a boston cop. the so-called "elite" high school she attended is a boston PUBLIC exam school.her father was a recovered drug addict who died of aids (this was in the boston newspapers) when she was 9. this young woman did not come from a privilaged or elite background. and as far as race, she was what is known as a white hispanic(!)

Cindy

Sun, 05 Mar 2006 19:39:35 -0500

This case is so scary I have been following it on another blog and they have pictures of what is now being called a crime scene. The building next to the falls was served with a search warrant early today. http://nvfc.us/blog/ http://nvfc.us/blog/?p=173

New Englander

Sun, 05 Mar 2006 10:27:28 -0500

Has anyone investigated the possibility that one or more of John Jay College students committed the heinous crime of murdering Immette St. Guillen ? Perhaps the motive would be to set up a real crime students would try to solve and that the murder or murders belive can not be solved.

Mia Lueng

Sat, 04 Mar 2006 21:12:09 -0500

I wanted to go to the wake yesterday. But I thought perhaps it was better to leave a message on imettestguillen.com instead. Peace Mia

Jenny

Fri, 03 Mar 2006 12:37:07 -0500

Sometimes the smartest of people dont use common sense because they are drunk, thats when your friends are supposed to help you. Her friend left her at 3am, why couldnt she just stay out with her one more hour? I could see if she left at 12 am and Imette wanted to stay out more but 1 more hour? And this is a best friend from childhood. I know my best friend would never do that to me, I can say maybe some fair weathers- aquaintance types would and they have done that but not a close friend.

ABC Girl

Fri, 03 Mar 2006 11:56:24 -0500

Women HAVE TO start using more common sense: I'm not saying Imette deserved what happened to her, but you don't go drinking for hours and hang out alone in bars after your friends have gone home. She started drinking at 10pm and she was still drinking at 4am! KNOW when to say enough. KNOW to stick with your friends. Imette used bad judgement. Young women think they're Carrie Bradshaw, cavorting around NYC in stillettos without a care in the world. I hope all the other women who hear this story are more careful and show better judgement, but how quickly young women forget...remember Natalee Holloway?

Jenny

Thu, 02 Mar 2006 15:22:06 -0500

Alot of people are saying, what was she doing out at 4am, but I dont know how many of you have been drunk? I've been drunk to the point I have a blackout while functioning and I have no memory of how I got home. And I have had my cell phone lost, hat lost as a result So please dont blame this girl for her actions

map

Thu, 02 Mar 2006 12:56:34 -0500

i was talking about this last night- because i was confused as to why a woman would have stayed out alone at 3 a.m. frankly, i would never go to a bar alone- be it 9 pm or 3 am. i think the sad truth here is that both she and her friend were both too drunk to make informed, wise, safe decisions that night. this is not to say that she deserved this or asked for it or brought it up on herself- because that is obviously not the case. but i think it's important to read about this story and learn that we live in a frightening world, in a big city, and need to be safe- even when we are out having fun.

tien

Thu, 02 Mar 2006 08:02:21 -0500

the previous comment #40 has been moderated.

Julia

Thu, 02 Mar 2006 01:47:31 -0500

I think this very horrendus. I am sickened by it. Let me add, this girl is not white, she is Hispanic. If any of you remember a White girl from Juliard named Sarah Fox was killed some years ago in a brutal attack and that killer was never found and also Sarah Fox's story did not make national news only local news. So dont say the news only focuses on white people.... And I think this girl has some crap friends to leave her alone at a bar -DRUNK. What kind of friends are these. I think people who are not from the city do things like this. I have friends who insist walking home drunk at 5 am alone. How many crimes happen to young drunk women like being raped and beaten that go unreported because they were not killed? You can bet alot. NYC is a dangerous place. I am a native Nyer and I hope women learn from this story and take precaution. In my opinion no one should be getting drunk alone at 3 am-girl or guy.

greg

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 23:10:56 -0500

hey gothamist, trace #40's IP and give it to the police.

Tim N.

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 22:28:40 -0500

I can only assume #40 is kidding, or making fun of the rest of us, or just trying to stir things up. If not, I think G'mist should call the NYPD and see if he's posting form the Lindenwood Diner.

Rachel

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 22:09:49 -0500

JESUS CHRIST, you really have to be kidding. Having a vagina is not the same as brandishing loads of cash on the street. That kind of ridiculous comparison suggests that all women should be raped and murdered by virtue of being female.

Burn In Hell, Imette!

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 21:34:28 -0500

This bitch got what she deserved. She probably decided to act like a whore, and was looking to get "picked up" by some metrosexual. What she didn't count on was being brought to justice by being literally fucked to death. It's a shame that no videos were made and released on the Internet. If the executioner was smart, he used chlorine bleach to destroy any evidence in or on her body. What they need to do now is go after the sister of this slut. More Jew York bitches need to be killed in this manner.

JESUS CHRIST

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 18:38:21 -0500

It's like waving a wad of hundred dollar bills while walking down the streets of Harlem. Sure it's against the law to rob your ass but you pretty much gotta expect it.

rev pays

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 18:32:52 -0500

Traveling in packs is not a bad idea. Anyway, she rolled the dice and got snake eyes. You tell people where you are and who you're going with, isn't that the backbone of these victims right/national night out/no means no organizations?

Samantha T

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 18:24:23 -0500

Amen, Jay. NOBODY signs on to get raped, tortured, and murdered, I don't give a shit how careless they or their friends are. Are you people seriously telling me that you travel in packs at all times? Whatever.

Jay

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 17:16:44 -0500

This crime just underscores the fact that, especially as a woman, you have to EXPECT trouble if you're out wandering around ALONE at 3:00 in the morning! It was really stupid of her to leave her friends that late at night. As a native, this comes second nature to me, maybe I'm assuming people don't think about that kind of stuff, but they have to, or they're inviting trouble. Actually, that doesn't only apply to NYC, but anywhere. RD This post was so stupid and sickening. Woohoo you are smarter than a poor girl that was RAPED... TORTURED... STRANGLED... MUTILATED... AND HAD HER FACE WRAPPED UP WITH TAPE. So while you sit there praising yourself for being so mush wiser than her I a native New Yorker will sit her praying that her killer... WHO IS THE ONE WHO WAS WRONG cause look what he did to her... is caught.

Adam

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 16:36:57 -0500

I found out this info on 1010wins.com that was really creepy: "Investigators theorize the killer was a stranger who somehow lured his victim out of The Falls, the Lower Manhattan bar where she was last seen early Saturday morning, before pouncing at another location. But no suspects have been identified. . . . According to the bar's Web site, the same owners operate Dorrian's Red Hand, the Upper East Side haunt where ``preppie killer'' Robert Chambers met Jennifer Levin before killing her in Central Park in 1986. Someone answering calls to The Falls on Wednesday declined comment."

janine

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 16:10:29 -0500

I'm not in any way blaming the victim or her friends but it needs to be an iron clad rule that you do not let your friend stay at the bar alone. Particularly if they're drinking more than a little. They can't really make the decision if they're really under the influence. I've annoyed many friends (and, I presume, dudes on the make) with this rule but you stay. If you're wasted, you order a coke with no rum. I'll straight up cock-block for my friends. If they really want to get it on, exchange numbers and have a booty call when the parties' faces aren't all blurry. Everyone should leave at the same time and stay together as long as possible. I'm not paranoid, really, but I thought that was an established rule for us ladies. I love filling my body with whatever toxins I can afford/get my hands on, but that's not the time for sex with strangers.

rev pays

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 15:39:29 -0500

Bowery is a large thoroughfare and she was found near the belt parkway. No way this has to do with gangs. The Gangs you're talking about don't set foot in the Belt parkway. Go back and see what type of victims were found on the Belt. The Gangs you're talking about don't hang out in the new Bars of the Bowery. Let's wait till the drug report comes out and see if someone slipped her a roofie.

awa

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 15:24:18 -0500

I meant John Jay College of Criminal Justice,

awa

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 15:19:49 -0500

For whatever it's worth, the *last* bar she was seen in was "The Falls" on Lafayette at Spring. The website of this bar describes it as "alluringly dim." It seems likely that there was also more than one person involved, one of whom had a vehicle (car, SUV, van?). I presume she also had identification on her indicating that she was a student at John Jay Criminal College. Have to wonder if this could have been perpetrated as a gang initiation rite.

timbnyc

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 15:13:28 -0500

Smitty you sound like that cop on the Shield who's always trying to turn every crime into a serial killer, working up ridiculous profiles, etc. Just so I know - is this life imitating art, or were you the inspiration for that character?

kb

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 14:56:18 -0500

it's so easy to disparage someone for being out at that late hour - but one needs to remember that it's not as if the streets are desolate and empty at 3am on a saturday, particularly in that area. there are people streaming in and out of clubs and bars, taxis roving all over the place, and there is plenty of energy in the air. 3am doesn't feel so late when many bars don't even "pick up" until after midnight. obviously this isn't to say that people -- particularly young women in their 20s -- shouldn't worry about their safety, but i think it's important to put things into context. i think most people around her age have similarly decided to "stay out" until bar closings, which is what makes this case so personal and heartbreaking for so many people. i also think that putting the situation into context could help police solve the case. i have no basis for this assumption, but i just think it is much more likely that she met someone at a bar rather than just getting "jumped" while walking down the street. i'm not sure which is scarier.

Veronica

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 14:55:39 -0500

I dont know about "expect" trouble, but it doesnt ring true to me that she was out with only one other friend and yet stayed out when that friend went home. The only way I see that happening is if she had already met someone at the time the friend went home.

JESUS CHRIST

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 14:50:18 -0500

This pisses me off so much. I hate it when Hot White Chicks are murdered.

smitty

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 14:47:52 -0500

This is bigger news, not only because she was a young white student, but also because it has all the markings of a serial killer. Elements of the crime suggest this is not the killer's first and probably won't be the last; the sex abuse suggests a serial killer who likely kills for power. The possibility of another serial killer loose in New York City is enough to frighten the story into front-page news. Scary.

RD

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 14:18:49 -0500

break

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 13:35:55 -0500

"Can we all agree that "Safest Big City" is utter crap for most intents and purposes? Sure, the per capita crime is low, but that gets cancelled out because the population density is so high. You're still more likely to get mugged here than in, say, a smaller city with a higher crime rate." Statistically speaking, that's totally incorrect.

rev pays

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 13:19:26 -0500

Not much going on at the Fox affiliate on the story, except for the videotape. Other NY/Bos news, manny ramirez finally shows up for spring training.

Dave H.

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 12:52:51 -0500

Likely Boston media headline: "Probable Yankee Fan Rapes and Murders Boston Native"

rev pays

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 12:44:19 -0500

I think she's from the UWS. I wonder what the Boston Media has on this story.

New York Press

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 12:40:26 -0500

I'm sorry bias, but unless the headless corpse was once a hot, white, sexy woman living on the upper east side, then its not front page material. Miss St. Guillen will do for now, but thank you for your input.

Dave H.

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 12:31:57 -0500

I went to high school with a guy who turned out to be a serial killer of crack-addicted prostitutes upstate. There was almost zero public attention to the fact that at least eight women disappeared off the city's streets until their bodies were found in and around the killer's parents' house and property. The women were of varying races, but the simple fact was that they were society's forgotten, leading sad and desperate lives with little conventional promise. I think the only thing that eventually got the case media attention was the macabre discovery of the bodies, putrifying in an occupied home, apparently to the obliviousness of its occupants.

bias

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 11:57:57 -0500

Meanwhile, a decapitated body is found in East Harlem. But I guess since it didn't happen to a "co-ed" or on the Lower East Side, it's not front-page news.

enough already

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 11:45:31 -0500

Do any of you have any statistics to back up anything you are saying? I just finished reading Freakonomics and you guys are acting just like the people Steven Levitt cites in the book. You're latching on to one gruesome muder and extrapolating. You fear the unknown killer and random crime in general because you have no control over it.

mrf

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 11:44:31 -0500

People aren't bizarrely killed in other cities? What? Have you people lived anywhere else?

smitty

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 11:04:44 -0500

It's not always hookers, rev pays, but young women in their 20s are usually the victims, so keep safe everyone! There are different types of serial killers - mission-oriented are the ones that stalk hookers and other "undesirables" but there are other types of serial killers that prey on average people as well.

rev pays

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 10:53:05 -0500

Glad to see Real New Yorkers on this board. Safest big city in the world, puuhleeeze. It's the randomness of crime here that's frightening. In other cities, this type of crime would happen to a Hooker or someone the Green River killer goes after. I know some will say Atlanta is more dangerous but they don't kill you like this.

Tim N.

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 10:44:51 -0500

I can remember (dating myself again) when Son of Sam was caught old Abe Beame said, "Now the city can sleep safe tonight." And my old man, the cop, said, "Yeah, like there's not a million other psychos out there." The city is not nearly the place it was fifteen years ago. Having said that, the psychos will always be with us, I'm afraid.

kojak

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 10:36:47 -0500

I agree your sis. These per capita crime statistics that they use are bullshit. I still believe NY has way too much crime, and that the city can do alot more to protect its citizens. Not to mention god knows what goes on underground. The stats only show REPORTED crimes. But each year progress is being made, if you can call that progress...

Dave H.

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 10:31:02 -0500

Last night a somewhat wild-eyed middle-aged guy was eyeballing me as I perused the Daily News story about this on the rack in front of my local bodega in Park Slope. When it became clear he was following me home, I paused to see if he'd keep walking. Instead he started screaming "You know what you did! You know what you did!", punched me in the face, and stole my keys before I had a chance to retreat back inside the corner store. He then wandered off with my keys. Nice to know the craziness of this poor woman's murder is infectious.

kojak

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 10:30:33 -0500

The Post, Daily News, Newsday are in the same league: Trash. Except Newsday. I hold them at somewhat of a higher standard then the other two. Sigh... it was only a matter of time before Law and Order got into this discussion...

your sister's gay boyfriend

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 10:30:24 -0500

Can we all agree that "Safest Big City" is utter crap for most intents and purposes? Sure, the per capita crime is low, but that gets cancelled out because the population density is so high. You're still more likely to get mugged here than in, say, a smaller city with a higher crime rate.

hmm

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 10:29:38 -0500

Of course the world's still a dangerous place. People blow themselves and others up on a daily basis because of religious insanity, governments lie to their citizens, there's a global human slave trade, and do I really need to go on? In the scheme of things, while this is a horrific tragedy, a hell of a lot more awful stuff goes on that gets scant attention -- either on the local, national, or global stages.

rev pays

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 10:28:30 -0500

What hotel uses quilts? Especially KMart looking ones. I don't know what they use in short stay motels but everywhere I went had that fake polyester pile stuff. I dunno, Friday night, dropped off in Brooklyn. The last college kid that got this much attention was Mark Fischer, only he was wrapped in a rug.

tofu

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 10:18:06 -0500

This murder case sounds very similar to the episode of Law and Order (not sure which new spin-off) that was on last night (Tuesday). In this episode a young woman left with some men from a club, who later raped and murdered her. Her body was then dumped in Queens or something. Anyway, it reminds me very much of this terriible murder.

Tim N.

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 10:10:00 -0500

The sense is alredy building that this is a serial killer-Ted Bundy-type, so I guess the DN wins the "Name the Maniac" contest. With special guest appearance by Mike Daly as Jimmy Breslin. Hopefully some motel owner will notice one of their quilts is missing.

MT

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 10:01:33 -0500

I see the Daily News is pulling a Post with that front page. At least they didn't make their sweepstakes more prominent than the news story.

Papercutninja

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 09:54:46 -0500

I'm sorry...but i can't read any more about this story. It gets me so upset...I just can't...usually news stories never get to me but...

S.D.

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 09:43:44 -0500

I meant "catch"...

S.D.

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 09:39:47 -0500

Sad story, Hope they cath her killer(s)... "Mummy Maniac"? Did they hire former NY Post editors?