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Police believe that Imette St. Guillen, the John Jay College graduate student who was murdered last Saturday, was probably targeted by a stranger. After confirming that St. Guillen was last at The Falls, a restaurant and bar on Lafayette Street just south of Spring (near the Andre Balazs Kenmare Square development, across the street from La Esquina) where she headed after the Pioneer Bar, witnesses say she left the restaurant alone. The current theory: A fake livery driver picked up St. Guillen around 4AM - especially considering how easy it seems to be to pose as a livery driver (just a few weeks ago a woman was assaulted by someone she thought was a livery driver). People in SoHo were surprised, with one resident told WABC: "It's surprising that this is something that happened in this part. Down Bowery and down Canal it gets sketchy." Well, unfortunately anything goes - just because a neighborhood is gentrified doesn't mean there isn't crime. Criminologists and experts have been weighing on all media outfits on the grisliness of the murder - and what it means about the killer - here's one look.
The NY Times put together a graphic of the last moments, under a map, and looks at the difficulties of trying to figure out what happened between the last sighting of St. Guillen and when her body was found. The press is also fixated on the weird coincidence that an owner of The Falls also owned Upper East Side bar, Dorrian's Red Hand, where Jennifer Levin met Roberts Chambers - and later died in the "Preppy Murder." John Jay College of Criminal Justice announced a scholarship would be created in St. Guillen's memory. The Daily News has a story about how St. Guillen's murder is reminiscent of Ramona Moore's brutal murder, and spoke to Moore's mother during that murder trial, plus another about Fountain Avenue's strange history. And today would have been St. Guillen's 25th birthday.
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Will someone please explain what the hell a livery cab is? If it's just a cab, just say a cab. Is it a car service?
i believe a livery cab is just a black towncar that you see with car services.
This explains all of the news crews outside the falls last night around 9 when i was walking by, and kind of deters me from drinking there.
Yellow cabs are "medallion cabs" because they have a medallion stamped on their hood (that green thingee). It means they are registered with the Taxi and Limo Commission. They cost a fortune, which is why there are so few guys who own their own cabs. But the good thing is if something bad happens you can get their hack number and medallion number.
Liveries, as best I understand it, are what were called "gypsy cabs" back in the day. They don't have medallions and are not registered with TLC. Anyone could pay a fee, have a "car service" sticker put on their car, and start driving around picking up fares. You saw this a lot in neighborhoods that medallion/yellow cabs were not servicing (and bear in mind there were many more of those nabes at that time). During the 90s more black car services began springing up around the city, private outfits that, to the best of my knowlege, are also not registered with TLC. Sort of high-end gypsy cabs.
What I can't help but wonder is why a (by all reports) savvy kid like Imette couldn't get a yellow cab in Soho at 4 in the morning on a Friday night. And how scary to think that there's a serial killer roaming around as a livery driver.
Almost as scary as the thought I had after reading yesterday's G'mist posts... that this "livery driver" was reading the posts and occasionally throwing in a comment or two...
Are these Livery cabs the same as 6666666 carmel or the car service your company provides?
What some call Black car service? If not, which is it? You think she went in to a "gypsy" cab? Aren't those, some really really old Impalas and not nessasarrily "black".
Not saying that some "gypsy" cabs are not black crown vics.
Someone also posted a myspace bulletin that was forwarded to me about another girl (separate from the one mentioned on Gothamist earlier) who got in a livery/gypsy cab in Bushwick and was ALSO threated and assaulted at knifepoint.
but as Tim n. suggested, why take a "livery" car in hip soho when you have cabs fighting for your business? Especailly around closing time. they line up for your fare.
To clear things up, "livery cabs," "gypsy cabs," and "black cars" are all the same thing. They are SUPPOSED to be registered with the T&LC and indeed have a license plate from the T&LC. However, I suspect many livery cabbies are not properly registered and can easily pose as a fake cab driver. A typical livery cab is a Lincoln Town Car, although higher end companies use Cadillacs and Mercedes Benzs. Livery cabs are not supposed to pick up street hails (only yellow, medallion cabs can) and can be fined heavily for doing so. Notwithstanding this, livery cabs do pick up many people in parts of the city (typically the outer boroughs) that are under-served by yellow cabs. I believe it is very dangerous to hail a livery cab because you never know who the driver is. Calling them is the only safe (and legal for the drivers) way to take those cabs.
Does anyone know of any memorial services for St. Guillen in NYC?
"why take a livery car in hip soho when you have cabs fighting for your business? Especailly around closing time. they line up for your fare."
Actually this is not at all a happening street in the wee hours. The Falls is the only bar on either side of this block, and it's not really a packed/happening spot -- it's more of a mellow upscale place -- so there's little night traffic.
The news vans are still here (although there are only four of them now as I write this). There are also cars going around the neighborhood today with loud, unintelligible announcements -- all I can pick out is that there's an 800 number you can call with any tips (can't make out the #).
The number is 1-800-577-TIPS. And as the other commenters pointed out, livery cabs aren't always necessarily registered... I also have to agree with Anyato, cabs are not always easy to find. Sure, they might be outside certain hot clubs, but The Falls is just a regular bar/restaurant.
like I said, please be careful!!
A couple of years ago I took a livery cab from the Metro North 125th street to go to my apt in West Harlem. Or rather that was my intent, because as soo as I got in the driver locked my door and was acting erratic and demanded more money that I yelled at him to stop driving and let me out. It was only after I got on my cell phone and started to dial 911 that he let me out.
Jesus Christ, this is just so awful. I've been living in Manhattan for over a year now and never been scared and now I'm completely freaked out. This girl was raped, it's an agonizing and terrifying thought. She was murdered, it's also an agonizing and terrifying thought. But on top of all that, what I really can't shake, is the fact that she was TORTURED. This girl died a horrible slow death. What's scarier to me is if she DIDN'T get into a gypsy cab. What if they simply lifted her off the sidewalk?
I'm thinking that two individuals were involved in this homicide.
There was a murder in Wisconsin last Oct 31 where it was revealed that two men tied up, raped, and killed a woman,then tried to dispose of the body.
http://www.teresahalbach.com/index.html
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.
Just a comment on this horrifying murder of the beautiful college student, Ms. St. Guillen. If I were this young lady's mother I would be half nuts by now.
From the map and the areas between where the girls drank, lived and the body was dumped is it a possibility that these girls were already stalked out before they reached the bar? Is it possible there was a date rape drug in Ms. Guillen's system? It is a strange coincidence that this murder is similiar to the one of Ms.Ramona Moore whose murderers were two thugs. The murder of Ms. Guillen could have been done by members of these same thugs/gang members group. Although my first instinct was a serial killer had done these vicious, ritual acts, these individuals have all the tendencies to be in this catagory. Packing tap is usually used in restaurants, warehouses, bars, and hotel/motels. These thugs/ritually sadistic gang members hate beautiful, smart women who show independance, everything their mothers weren't. Probably mothered by prostitutes and were trying to make her body look like one by cutting the hair and dumping it where they did.
These opinions are written with no malicious or prejudice intent. This is a sadistic crime and thought I pass along my comment.
Connie Anger
163 Myrtle St.
St. Thomas, ON.
N5R 2G6
I think it's absolutely disgusting that we have predators out there that are hunting down women and terrifying the shit out of them. How can such a young lady like Immette be escorted out of a bar by some guy, thrown into a van, and horrifically torchered, raped and killed by such a low life scumbag on this earth. The person that committed this AWFUL crime should be put to death by lethal injection.
I know this may sound insincere, but what was Ms. St. Guillen doing? From what I read, she was drunk and alone at 4am in the nightclub scene of one of the biggest cities in the world. I'm 24 (california male) and I don't even party without knowing someone has my back. All the girls I know are attached at the hip to their girlfriends. It's not a matter of "Living in a bubble" - it's a matter of common sense.
Society, for all its achievements, is still very primitive in many ways. I know this might sound depressing, but for as beautiful as this shared existence is, it would be naive to disregard its ugliness.
Now, it's a known fact that bouncers need to be thugs to bounce the hell out of whoever the hell needs bouncing. According to the news articles, Littlejohn has a record, but nothing was said about crimes of passion (rape, etc...) . What would be Littlejohn's motive for taking advantage of one out of the thousands of women that go passed his way? The report says "they were seen arguing at the door" - Drunk ladies (and men) arguing with a bouncer at closing time? HA! Never! (sarcasm).
As I read through this site's post on the story, I get a sense of understandable fear. Like "hits close to home" fear. Such fear would be motive enough for the already pressured police investigators to plant evidence to assure that the community is indeed safe from this happening again. Completely ruling this out as a possibility would be naive. But, I guess that's just me being a conspiracy theorist.
These crimes will not end in our lifetime, especially if women continue to drink alone in the vibrantly dark nightlife of any city.