Mystery Surrounds Death of Brooklyn Samaritan

On Sunday, a Brooklyn woman who took in homeless men was found dead in her apartment. The Post reported that neighbors, who had not seen Young since Thursday, noticed a foul smell and eventually Geraldine Young's son found her "bloated and naked" body in a locked room. The ME's office's autopsy was inconclusive, and the police have yet to classify the death as a murder.

Young lived in a brownstone at 1274 Bergen Street and for the past two years, she used the top two floors as a boarding/halfway house called Gerry's House. According to the NY Times, four men were currently living there, and the Post said that one boarder had not been seen lately.

Today, the NY Times describes the mixed feelings about Young in her Crown Heights neighborhood. While some admired that she was trying to help the less fortunate by giving them a place to stay while they got back on their feet, others wondered if she was putting herself at risk. Her former pastor, the Reverend John Brown, told the Times, "I told her it’s not a good idea to be a lady by herself, just taking men in. She said, ‘I’m doing God’s work.’”

Another neighbor said, "We didn’t like her bringing undesirables, but there’s nothing we could do about it. You shouldn’t bring people like that into a brownstone. All the roofs are connected. She told me God told her to do it, and I don’t interfere with people and their God.”

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By Jen Chung in News on August 15, 2007 7:32 AM

Comments [rss]

guest

I stand by my comment that you lack journalistic experience. Obviously, your day job is causing you distress, which is why you feel it necessary to use the term "STFU" to someone you don't know. I am sorry that you are experiencing distress in your personal life, but the fact remains that this is a valid editorial decision, AND, this is a blog, so the editor can print what he/she wants.

guest

You're lack of experience shows, #6.

When they found that crazy artist's body, the one who killed himself after his weirded out girlfriend killed herself... I didn't see a description of the body as it was found.

If there was, we would have heard about the puffy body, missing fingers and toes. We would have heard about the hole where the genitals used to be. We would have heard about the skin that was left, peeling off the instant it was pulled out of the water. We would have heard about the missing eyes, and the nose eaten away by fish. We would have heard about the wide open mouth, with seaweed and small fish in it. We would have heard about the tubelike marine wildlife clinging to the body, growing on it.

I know because I've pulled many bodies out of the water. Most reporters know as well, because they are usually there when the bodies are pulled out.

The fact that a possible sexual assault victim's body was described in the detail it was is not helpful to police, and the fact that the son was described as finding his mother's decomposing body in the condition he found it was tasteless.

So #6, just STFU and stick to what you know.

guest

Guest number 4, your lack of journalism experience and knowledge clearly shines through. First of all, yes, it IS entirely appropriate to describe the condition (to some degree, and this is enough detail) of the body because that is some clue as to what happened, especially considering that the cause of death is as yet unknown. Second, this is a blog, and the writer can post what he/she wants.

Haven't you noticed that the New York Times' slogan is "All the news that's fit to print." What do you think that means? It's not the news that YOU think is fit to print, it is the editor's decision.

Aristocrat

Can you imagine if she tried to pull this shite in Park Slope? The neighborhood would have passive-aggressively torched her place.

guest

I'm sure you took a perverse joy in describing how the son found his "bloated and naked" mother's body.

Mentioning that was not really relevent to the story, and was uncalled for.

janelle

didn't something like this happen somewhat recently, within the last year or two? i know it's a nice idea to help, but this just doesn't seem like the best or safest way. maybe it's unfair, but i don't think it's unwise to assume that *some* homeless people might have issues (drugs, mental illness, etc.) that could make them prone to violence.