Clearly, Maksim Gelman wants our attention. The Brooklyn man, currently in jail for killing four people last year and stabbing a man on a subway train in a violent spree, gave an interview to the Daily News, claiming to have killed six other people. Now he's talking to the Post, revealing how he wanted to kill another notorious murder suspect, Levi Aron, who allegedly dismembered and slaughtered a little boy in Brooklyn.
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Results tagged “leviaron”
Confessed Killer Draws The Line At Dismembering Little Kids
2011 In A NY Minute: Slimy Pols, Married Gays, Natural Disasters And Tony Bologna
Unlike 2010, there were no sexy bankers, tourist lanes, or gubernatorial races dominating our headlines this year. But there were natural disasters (Hurricane Irene) and global protest movements (Occupy Wall Street), strange political scandals (Weinergate, Deputy Mayor Goldsmith), strange sex scandals (parlez-vous DSK?), police corruption (the ticket-fixing saga), a long-awaited step forward (gay marriage), and the 10th Anniversary of 9/11. Revisit the year with this look back.
Rabbi: Inbreeding Happens, But That Doesn't Make People Killers
Yesterday, the lawyer for Levi Aron, the man who confessed to killing and dismembering 8-year-old Hasidic boy Leiby Kletzky this past fall, stirred up controversy when he unveiled his defense strategy, blaming Aron's alleged insanity on a childhood head injury, schizophrenia, and most contentiously, inbreeding. While lawyer Howard Greenberg was chastised by Assemblyman Dov Hikind for "degrading to our entire community,” one rabbi told the Post that inbreeding wasn't uncommon amongst Orthodox Jews...but that still doesn't mean they grow up to be killers: “There are thousands of [married] people in the community who are related and there’s no problem. It’s preposterous to say that because there’s a possibility of his parents being related, [Aron] would be crazy,” said Rabbi Bernard Freilich.
Levi Aron Insanity Defense: Blame It On Inbreeding
The man who confessed to killing and dismembering 8-year-old Hasidic boy Leiby Kletzky this past fall has already been found mentally competent to stand trial—but his lawyer is still arguing that he is insane. Lawyer Howard Greenberg laid out his case in defense of 35-year-old Levi Aron to reporters outside Brooklyn Supreme Court this morning: "He suffered a severe head injury as a young man. There's a history of schizophrenia," the lawyer said. "There's inbreeding in that community."
Levi Aron, Suspected Child Killer, Will Be Tried In Brooklyn
An appeals court has decided that Levi Aron, accused of killing and chopping up a young Hasidic boy, will face trial in Brooklyn, where the boy went missing and was killed, and not in Suffolk County or the Bronx, where his lawyers say he might have had a fair shot.
Lawyer For Suspected Child Killer Say He's "Obviously Crazy"
The defense team for the Brooklyn man accused of kidnapping and brutally dismembering a little boy is trying to get his confession thrown out. City Room reports that lawyer Howard Greenberg said of Levi Aron, "[Cops] told him what to say, and consequently it’s not his statement. My opinion is you can get this guy to admit he shot Kennedy if you spend a little bit of time with him... This is a very simple case. He’s either evil or he’s crazy. He’s obviously crazy."
Father Of Slain Boy Leiby Kletzy Sues Alleged Killer for $100 Million
It wasn't until several weeks ago that the father of Leiby Kletzky, the 8-year-old Brooklyn boy whom police say was brutally murdered by Levi Aron, learned the horrific details of his son's death. Aron reportedly confessed to killing Leiby in July after finding the lost boy wandering the streets of Borough Park. In addition to the criminal charges he now faces, Leiby's devastated father Nachman Kletzky has filed a lawsuit against Aron. The civil lawsuit describes the murder as “one of the most horrific crimes in the history of the County of Kings,” and seeks $100 million in punitive damages from the mentally unstable hardware store clerk.
Judge Chews Out Lawyers For Child Murder Suspect Levi Aron
The attorneys for Levi Aron, the man who confessed to killing and dismembering 8-year-old Hasidic boy Leiby Kletzky, have already defended themselves from criticisms once—but it seems they had to do it again yesterday, as a Brooklyn judge laced into the two for how they've handled the case so far. "What I am questioning is whether counsel has enough experience for a trial of this type of case," said Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Neil Firetog.
Leiby Kletzky Inspires Brooklyn DA's "Safe Stop" Program
Before 8-year-old Leiby Kletzky was abducted and killed last month the young boy wandered the streets of Borough Park alone, trying to find a way home and unsure who to turn to. And that is something the Brooklyn DA never wants to happen again. And so his office has gone and launched its new "Safe Stop" program to help businesses help those in need. At the program's launch yesterday 77 businesses in Brooklyn had signed up for the initiative. If it does well, the DA hopes the idea will spread to the other four boroughs.
Accused Child Murderer Levi Aron Refuses To Apologize During Jailhouse Interview
Levi Aron, the man who confessed to killing and dismembering 8-year-old Hasidic boy Leiby Kletzky last month, was recently found mentally competent to stand trial, despite a psychiatric evaluation which found that he has a personality disorder. The News was able to get an exclusive interview with the accused killer at Rikers Island, in which he would not apologize for his confessed crime: "It hurts too much to think about it...I don't know what happened. I just panicked."
Accused Child Murderer Levi Aron Has "Personality Disorder"
Although the man who confessed to killing and dismembering 8-year-old Hasidic boy Leiby Kletzky last month was recently found mentally competent to stand trial, a psychiatric evaluation has found that he has a personality disorder. Levi Aron, who has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and kidnapping charges, is portrayed as a troubled, confused man with a "flat" and "apathetic" mood in the report, according to the AP. In addition, it was revealed that his sister died while institutionalized for schizophrenia.
Friend Says Accused Child Murderer Is "Borderline Retarded"
This week, the man who confessed to killing and dismembering 8-year-old Hasidic boy Leiby Kletzky last month was found mentally competent to stand trial. Levi Aron pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and kidnapping charges during his arraignment in Brooklyn Supreme Court, while his attorneys plotted an insanity defense. Now, one of his friends has revealed more personal details about the accused killer, whom the friend calls "socially awkward" and "borderline retarded." "He couldn't hold a conversation...He didn't talk about anything except karaoke and the songs he was going to sing - not women, not anything," said David Barsky.
Accused Child Killer Levi Aron's Confession: "I'm Famous"
Yesterday, the man who confessed to killing and dismembering 8-year-old Hasidic boy Leiby Kletzky last month was found mentally competent to stand trial. Levi Aron pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and kidnapping charges during his arraignment in Brooklyn Supreme Court. His next court appearance will come on October 14, and his lawyers will be scrambling to determine whether they can still pursue an insanity defense, which is an extremely rare defense strategy for a felony case. But then again,"no other defense comes to mind” in this case, said Deborah W. Denno, a professor at Fordham University.
Suspect In Child Murder-Dismemberment Case Found Fit For Trial, Pleads Not Guilty
Levi Aron, the man who confessed to killing and dismembering 8-year-old Hasidic boy Leiby Kletzky last month, pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and kidnapping charges during his arraignment in Brooklyn Supreme Court this morning. Aron was also deemed fit to stand trial after his lawyers tried to argue that he was insane—they say that he hears voices and hallucinates. According to court records, Aron even bragged to cops, "I'm famous," after he was arrested.
Attorneys For Child Murder Suspect Defend Themselves
Levi Aron, the man who confessed to killing and dismembering 8-year-old Hasidic boy Leiby Kletzky earlier this month, is due to appear in Brooklyn Supreme Court on Thursday to face murder charges. His two attorneys felt compelled to come forward and defend themselves before the start of the trial: "It's not about defending his actions. It's about defending his rights," lawyer Jennifer McCann told the News.
Child Murder Suspect Gets New "Heavy Hitting" Attorney
Previously, one of the attorneys for Levi Aron, the man who confessed to killing and dismembering 8-year-old Hasidic boy Leiby Kletzky last week, abruptly resigned; Gerard Marrone told reporters that his conscious weighed heavy on him because of "the horrific way this boy was killed." Now, a new "heavy hitting" defense lawyer has been brought in to replace him, and she "has a reputation for being an aggressive attorney who diligently represents high profile defendants," according to fellow lawyer Pierre Bazile.
Child Murder Suspect Levi Aron's Attorney Resigns Over Conscience
One of the attorneys for Levi Aron, the man who confessed to killing and dismembering 8-year-old Hasidic boy Leiby Kletzky last week, abruptly resigned last night, saying it was because of "the horrific way this boy was killed." Gerard Marrone, who was one of two lawyers representing Aron, told the Daily News his conscience weighed heavy on him over the gruesome details of the murder: "I have three little boys. You can't look at your kids and then look at yourself in the mirror, knowing that a little boy, who's close in age to my eldest son, was murdered so brutally."
Accused Child Killer Levi Aron Given 8-Count Indictment
Levi Aron, the man who confessed to killing and dismembering 8-year-old Hasidic boy Leiby Kletzky last week, was handed down an eight-count indictment—including two counts of first-degree murder, three counts of second-degree murder, two counts of first-degree kidnapping and one count of second-degree kidnapping—by a grand jury today. The indictment comes hours after the release of the official autopsy report, which revealed that Leiby had been drugged prior to his murder, with a mixture of muscle relaxants, anti-psychotics and painkillers, before he was smothered to death.
Wait, What? Rabbi Says Gay Marriage To Blame For 8-Year-Old's Death
Rabbi Yehuda Levin has long been an outspoken and controversial figure in the Orthodox Jewish community, and even more extreme than many of his allies—his unholy team-up with former Republican gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino last year fizzled out after Paladino reneged on anti-homosexual remarks he had made. But now, Levin is really going out of his way to stir the pot: in his weekly internet broadcast, Levin blamed the murder of eight-year-old Hasidic boy Leiby Kletzky on Jews who supported gay rights, gay marriage, and abortion clinics. Check out the excerpt and watch the video below (skip to 7 minute mark):
Autopsy: Dismembered Brooklyn Boy Was Drugged Before He Was Killed
The autopsy report on Leiby Kletzky, the 8-year-old Hasidic boy who was killed and dismembered last week, has revealed that Leiby had been drugged before he was smothered to death by confessed killer Levi Aron. The medical examiner said Leiby had been given muscle relaxant, anti-psychotic drugs, painkillers and Tylenol before he was killed—the anti-psychotic drug, quetiapine, is used to treat symptoms of schizophrenia.
Brooklyn DA Shoots Down Levi Aron Insanity Plea, Bloomberg Comforts Family
Levi Aron's attorneys have alluded that they will use an insanity plea to defend him against the allegations (and his own written and video confessions) that he kidnapped, suffocated, and dismembered 8-year-old Leiby Kletzky. Yesterday, after he spent 20 minutes with the Kletzky family, Brooklyn DA Charles Hynes shrugged off the defense's claims, saying, "Sometimes I wonder about what goes through defense lawyers' minds." Hynes also told the Daily News that he "wanted to make a personal commitment that every resource of this office will be used to make sure the issue is resolved in a way that is appropriate."
Levi Aron's Attorney Alludes To Insanity Defense, Hasn't Seen Confessions
As police attempt to square Levi Aron's written confession with the evidence they're collecting from his home, Aron's attorney believed that his client has a "disorder" that would lead him to kidnap a 8-year-old Leiby Kletzky, suffocate him, and dismember his body. "I can't tell you what the nature of the disorder is," Bazile tells FOX 5, "but it's hard to believe that somebody who committed an act like that wouldn't have a disorder." It appears that Bazile will pursue an insanity defense.
Police Continue Searching Child Murder Suspect's Home For Evidence
Days after the murder and dismemberment of 8-year-old Hasidic boy Leiby Kletzky, police have continued their intensive search of the Kensington home of confessed child murderer Levi Aron for any more evidence of improper contact with children in the past. According to CBS and ABC, detectives have been carting off bags of evidence from the residence, completely dug up his backyard, and begun the process of examining all his computers. In recent days, neighbors have alleged that Aron had an obsession with young boys, and had tried to kidnap other children.
Lawmakers Push For "Leiby's Initiative," Bloomberg Won't Lift School Cell Phone Ban
In the wake of the brutal murder and dismemberment of 8-year-old Hasidic boy Leiby Kletzky this week, lawmakers are pushing for a new initiative to give incentives to businesses to install more security cameras on their properties. Assemblymans Dov Hikind and Peter Abbate and State Sen. Diane Savino will introduce the bill called “Leiby’s Initiative,” which would give a $500 annual tax credit to any NYC property owner who installs and maintains surveillance cameras. “If we had more surveillance cameras, we could have traced Leiby literally within minutes — his tracks. So this is one of many initiatives that will come forward to try to do more to protect our children. The more cameras you have, the safer your community,” Hikind told 1010 WINS.
Neighbors Say Child Murder Suspect Tried To Kidnap Before
Neighbors have started making claims that Levi Aron, the man who pled not guilty to charges of first-degree murder this week after he previously confessed to killing and dismembering an 8-year-old Hasidic boy, had an obsession with young boys, and had tried to kidnap them before. Zisa Berkowitz told the Post that Aron had tried to kidnap her young son off their block on East Second Street in the last two years, but she scared him off by screaming. And another source told The Daily that Aron had stalked an 11-year-old in Borough Park the week before he is accused of killing Leiby Kletzky. "He kept turning around, feeling suspicious, and kept noticing the car was there, so he broke into a run and quickly went home to tell his parents," the source said.
Family Of Dismembered Boy Leaves Note Thanking Community
The family of Leiby Kletzky, the 8-year-old Brooklyn Hasidic boy who was killed and dismembered this week, have largely been staying away from the public since news of the son's death was revealed earlier this week. But the family pinned a note to the front door of their Borough Park building this morning, asking for privacy, saying they wouldn't be giving any other statements, and most of all, thanking the community for their support during the horrific ordeal. Below, you can read the rest of the statement:
Parents Of Murdered Brooklyn Boy In The Dark About Dismemberment
Levi Aron, the man who previously confessed to killing and dismembering an 8-year-old Hasidic boy this week, pled not guilty to charges of first-degree murder and kidnapping yesterday in court. As inmates screamed "F----- killer!" and onlookers yelled "murderer," his lawyer planted the seeds for an insanity defense ("He hears voices and suffers from hallucinations"), and Aron was held for a psychiatric exam and put on suicide watch. On his weekly radio show this morning, Mayor Bloomberg revealed that he had spoken to Leiby Kletzky's parents, and lamented that he "couldn't explain" to them how such a horrible crime could occur: "How could anybody be this sick?"
Child Murder Suspect Levi Aron Loved Karaoke, Recorded Duets Online
Following Levi Aron's arraignment yesterday for the murder and dismemberment of 8-year-old Leiby Kletzky, authorities are still attempting to piece together the profile of a man who would commit such atrocities. As the Times reports, though he was a regular at karaoke bars on Long Island, the people who frequented the events said "Aron did not mingle much with others." In addition to performing in bars, Aron, who reportedly had dreams of being a contestant on American Idol, also sung covers on the website SingSnap.com.
Update: Brooklyn Boy Struggled Before Death, His Confessed Killer "Hears Voices," Pleads Not Guilty
Levi Aron, the man who confessed to killing an 8-year-old Hasidic boy this week, was formally charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping today in court. His lawyer, Pierre Bazile, entered a plea of not guilty to the charges that Aron killed Leiby Kletzky, and told the Judge, "He hears voices and suffers from hallucinations." Aron, who some have described as "slow," was ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation. According to the Post, prisoners sharing a holding cell with Aron could be heard screaming, "You f--king killer!" before he was brought into the court.
Community Mourns While Police Question Confession Of Brooklyn Boy's Killer
Police are taking a closer look at the detailed confession of Levi Aron, the man who allegedly killed and dismembered an 8-year-old Hasidic boy earlier this week. Aron gave a detailed confession to police last night (which you can read here) before he was officially charged with murdering Leiby Kletzky. But police are strongly questioning whether Aron's statement was entirely true.
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