Ex-Con Cross-Examines Woman He Allegedly Stabbed While Cycling In Long Island City

Eli Granger when he was taken into custody in 2008. (CBS 2)

Back in 1994, Eli Granger was sentenced to 10 years in prison for going on a bicycling stabbing spree, plunging a knife into three men as he rode around on his bike. Having repaid his debt to society, Granger was released. But the temptation to stab-while-cycling seemingly proved too great for Granger to endure, and prosecutors say he stabbed 37-year-old Eduarda Olivia in the chest as she walked with her 13-year-old daughter in Long Island City in June 2008. Yesterday, Granger came face-to-face with his alleged victim in open court.

Granger, 49, is representing himself in the trial, and yesterday Olivia was forced to answer questions from the man whom she says stabbed her without provocation that summer day. "I noticed someone on a bike coming from under the bridge," she testified, according to the Post. "I pulled Kayla close to me to get her out of the way. He passed us by and made a U-turn, and all of a sudden, I saw his hand close to my chest. I was bleeding. I started getting dizzy, felt like I was going to faint. I told Kayla to run and get help. The bicyclist pedaled back under the bridge. He looked directly into my eyes with a devilish look and never said a word."

When asked if the man who stabbed her was present in the courtroom, Olivia told Granger, "I came in here, and I knew it was you! All I remember are those evil eyes looking at me while I was dying. To stand there, to watch a person die—I could never forget those eyes." To which Granger reportedly replied, "My eyes are evil?" Granger also suggested that Olivia had been coached by prosecutors to identify him because he was the only black man at the defense table, and then he asked Olivia whether it was possible for her to have prevented the attack.

"How?" she asked, becoming emotional. "Can you please tell me how?" She then broke down into tears and the judge called a recess as she "collapsed crying into her husband's arms," the Daily News reports.

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By John Del Signore in News on June 28, 2011 2:20 PM

Comments [rss]

Guest

So wait - he cross-examined this woman while riding a bike? Either that judge lets a lot go in his courtroom or your English professor at Kenosha Community College should shoot himself in disgrace.

SpideySense

This time they should give him life without the possibility of parole.

ONE_LESS_FIXED_GEAR

Nice touch, making her re-live that moment. I hope that MF'er dies a slow, horribly painful death someday. Then again, I'd be pretty happy if someone simply capped him and ended it.

AedanRoberts

Honestly? That's exactly what I thought.

This man is a sick fuck- but I doubt one who isn't cognizant of his situation. I think he knows he is screwed and simply doesn't care. What he cares about is getting his jollies from the anguish of others. If what this woman described is accurate (I have no reason to believe it's not) then he gets off on the torture and pain of other people.

I feel like what he did today to this poor woman was him getting one last masturbation fantasy before going back to prison. And the fact that the courts allowed him to do this is outrageous and despicable.

TimeDown

The Court does not have a choice. It is a constitutional right, as it should be. But if it makes you feel any better if he is convicted (which seems likely) the judge will most likely give him a stiffer sentence based solely on his decision to personally cross-examine the victim.

splicernyc

Hmm, I would say that barring the dumbest jury ever (and that's not beyond the realm of possibility), this fool is screwed.

Guest

If he has the same jury as the rape cops, he'll be stabbing away again next week.

bggb

Sorry, how is he fit to stand trial?

TimeDown

There is nothing that indicates he is not competent to stand trial.

m015094

Modern day jousting.

Greg Froober

he certainly didn't repay his debt to society. 10 years is not enough for what he did when there are non-violent offenders doing much more time that that.

He should have been doing life at least. They need to put him away forever now.