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Kitty Genovese

Kitty Genovese, picture from The New York Times article: "Thirty-Eight Who Saw Murder Didn't Call the Police"
Born Catherine Susan Genovese
July 7, 1935 (1935-07-07)
Brooklyn,[1] New York, USA
Died March 13, 1964 (aged 28)
Kew Gardens, NY,[2] USA
Cause of death Murder by stabbing
Burial place Lakeview Cemetery
New Canaan, Connecticut
41°08′34″N 73°29′01″W / 41.14278, -73.48361
Nationality Flag of the United States United States
Employers Ev's Eleventh Hour Club
Hollis, New York, USA
Title Manager
Known for Sensational New York Times article about the murder

Catherine Susan Genovese (July 7, 1935[1] — March 13, 1964), commonly known as Kitty Genovese, was a New York City woman who was stabbed to death near her home in the Kew Gardens section of Queens, New York. Events 1456 - A retrial verdict acquits Joan of Arc of heresy 25 years after her death Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Brooklyn (named after the Dutch town Breukelen) is one of the five boroughs of New York City. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 1138 - Cardinal Gregorio Conti is elected Antipope as Victor IV, succeeding Anacletus II. Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. Kew Gardens is a neighborhood in central Queens bounded to the north and east by the Jackie Robinson Parkway (formerly Interborough Parkway) Queens New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Murder is the unlawful killing of another human person with Malice aforethought, as defined in Common Law countries A stabbing is the penetration of a sharp or pointed object at close range New Canaan is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, 8 miles (13 km northeast of Stamford, on the Five Mile River Connecticut ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Hollis is a neighborhood within the southeastern section of the New York City borough of Queens. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 1456 - A retrial verdict acquits Joan of Arc of heresy 25 years after her death Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1138 - Cardinal Gregorio Conti is elected Antipope as Victor IV, succeeding Anacletus II. Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. The City of New York Kew Gardens is a neighborhood in central Queens bounded to the north and east by the Jackie Robinson Parkway (formerly Interborough Parkway) Queens New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous [3] Genovese was buried in a family grave at Lakeview Cemetery in New Canaan, Connecticut. New Canaan is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, 8 miles (13 km northeast of Stamford, on the Five Mile River Connecticut ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America.

The circumstances of her murder and the supposed lack of reaction of numerous neighbors were reported by a newspaper article published two weeks later; the common portrayal of neighbors being fully aware, but completely nonresponsive has later been criticized as inaccurate. Nonetheless, it prompted investigation into the social psychological phenomenon that has become known as the bystander effect (seldomly: "Genovese syndrome")[4] and especially diffusion of responsibility. Social psychology is the study of how people and groups interact The bystander effect (also known as bystander apathy, Genovese syndrome, diffused responsibility or bystander intervention) is a psychological Diffusion of responsibility is a Social phenomenon which tends to occur in groups of people above a certain critical size when responsibility is not explicitly assigned

Contents

Life

Born in New York City, Genovese was the oldest of five children in a middle class Italian American family and was raised in Brooklyn. The City of New York An Italian American is an American of Italian descent and/or dual citizenship Brooklyn (named after the Dutch town Breukelen) is one of the five boroughs of New York City. After her mother witnessed a murder in the city, the family chose to move to Connecticut in 1954. Connecticut ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. Genovese, however, nineteen at the time, chose to remain in the city, where she lived for nine years. At the time of her death, she was working as a bar manager at Ev's 11th Hour Sports Bar on Jamaica Avenue in Hollis, Queens. Hollis is a neighborhood within the southeastern section of the New York City borough of Queens.

Attack

Genovese had driven home in the early morning of March 13, 1964. Events 1138 - Cardinal Gregorio Conti is elected Antipope as Victor IV, succeeding Anacletus II. Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. Arriving home at about 3:15 a. m. and parking about 100 feet (30 m) from her apartment's door, she was approached by Winston Moseley, a Business Machine Operator. [2] Moseley ran after her and quickly overtook her, stabbing her twice in the back. When Genovese screamed out, she screamed, "Oh my god he stabbed me! Help me!" it was heard by several neighbors; but on a cold night with the windows closed, only a few of them recognized the sound as a cry for help. When one of the neighbors shouted at the attacker, "Let that girl alone!", Moseley ran away and Genovese slowly made her way towards her own apartment around the end of the building. She was seriously injured, but now out of view of those few who may have had reason to believe she was in need of help.

Records of the earliest calls to police are unclear and were certainly not given a high priority by the police. One witness said his father called police after the initial attack and reported that a woman was "beat up, but got up and was staggering around. "[5]

Other witnesses observed Moseley enter his car and drive away, only to return ten minutes later. In his car, he changed his hat to a wide-rimmed one to shadow his face. He systematically searched the parking lot, train station, and small apartment complex, ultimately finding Genovese, who was lying, barely conscious, in a hallway at the back of the building. Out of view of the street and of those who may have heard or seen any sign of the original attack, he proceeded to further attack her, stabbing her several more times. Knife wounds in her hands suggested that she attempted to defend herself from him. While she lay dying, he sexually assaulted her. He stole about $49 from her and left her dying in the hallway. The attacks spanned approximately half an hour. During his last attack in the hallway, a neighbor just up the stairs opened the door and watched the attack without doing anything to stop the attacker.

A few minutes after the final attack, a witness, Karl Ross, called the police. Police and medical personnel arrived within minutes of Ross' call; Genovese was taken away by ambulance and died en route to the hospital. Later investigation by police and prosecutors revealed that approximately a dozen (but almost certainly not the 38 cited in the Times article) individuals nearby had heard or observed portions of the attack, though none could have seen or been aware of the entire incident. [6] Only one witness (Joseph Fink) was aware she was stabbed in the first attack, and only Karl Ross was aware of it in the second attack. Many were entirely unaware that an assault or homicide was in progress; some thought that what they saw or heard was a lovers' quarrel or a drunken brawl or a group of friends leaving the bar outside when Moseley first approached Genovese.

Perpetrator

Winston Moseley, a business machine operator, was later apprehended in connection with burglary charges; he confessed not only to the murder of Kitty Genovese, but to two other murders, both involving sexual assaults. Subsequent psychiatric examinations suggested that Moseley was a necrophiliac. Necrophilia, also called thanatophilia and necrolagnia, is the sexual attraction to corpses He was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. Capital punishment of a Felon in the United States, in modern times is employed and in practice only in cases involving murder

Moseley gave a confession to the police where he detailed the attack, corroborating the physical evidence at the scene. His motive for the attack was simply "to kill a woman. " Moseley stated that he got up that night around 2:00 a. m. , leaving his wife asleep at home, and drove around to find a victim. He spied Genovese and followed her to the parking lot.

Moseley also testified at his own trial where he further described the attack, leaving no question that he was the killer.

The initial death sentence was reduced to an indeterminate sentence of 20 years to life imprisonment on June 1, 1967. Life imprisonment or life incarceration is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime often for most Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. The New York Court of Appeals found that Moseley should have been able to argue that he was "medically insane" at the sentencing hearing when the trial court found that he had been legally sane. New York Court of Appeals is the highest court in the US state of New York.

In 1968, during a trip to a Buffalo, New York hospital for surgery (precipitated by a soup can he placed in his own rectum as a pretext to leave prison), Moseley overpowered a guard and beat him up to the point that his eyes were bloody. Buffalo (ˈbʌfəloʊ is the second largest city in New York State. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous He then took a bat and swung it at the closest person to him and took five hostages, raping one of them before he was recaptured after a two-day manhunt. He also participated in the later Attica Prison riots. The Attica Prison riot occurred at the Attica Correctional Facility in Attica New York, United States in 1971. [7]

Moseley remains in prison after being denied parole a thirteenth time on March 11, 2008. Events 1425 BC - Thutmose III, Pharaoh of Egypt, dies (according to the Low Chronology of the 18th Dynasty 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common A previous parole hearing included his defense that "For a victim outside, it's a one-time or one-hour or one-minute affair, but for the person who's caught, it's forever. "[8]

Public reaction

Many saw the story of Genovese's murder as an example of the callousness or apathy supposedly prevalent in New York City, urban America, or humanity in general. Much of this framing of the event came in reaction to an investigative article[9] in The New York Times written by Martin Gansberg and published on March 27, two weeks after the murder. Events 196 BC - Ptolemy V ascends to the throne of Egypt. 1309 - Pope Clement V excommunicates The article bore the headline "Thirty-Eight Who Saw Murder Didn't Call the Police"; the public view of the story crystallized around a quote from the article, from an unidentified neighbor who saw part of the attack but deliberated, before finally getting another neighbor to call the police: "I didn't want to get involved. "

Other reports, cited by Harlan Ellison in his book Harlan Ellison's Watching, stated that one man turned up his radio so that he would not hear Genovese's screams. Harlan Jay Ellison (born May 27, 1934) is a prolific American Writer of Short stories, Novellas, Teleplays Ellison says that the report he read attributed the "get involved" quote to nearly all of the thirty-eight who supposedly witnessed the attack. He later repeated the figure of thirty-eight (this time using an expletive to collectively describe them) when mentioning the case in his book The Other Glass Teat. Motherfucker (also existing in countless contracted forms eg mofo muthafucka, or shortened to just "mother" is a common Insult and Profanity

While Genovese's neighbors were vilified by the article, "Thirty-Eight onlookers who did nothing" is a misleading conception. The article begins:

"For more than half an hour thirty-eight respectable, law-abiding citizens in Queens watched a killer stalk and stab a woman in three separate attacks in Kew Gardens. "

The lead is dramatic but factually inaccurate. None of the witnesses observed the attacks in their entirety. Because of the layout of the complex and the fact that the attacks took place in different locations, no witness saw the entire sequence. Most only heard portions of the incident without realizing its seriousness, a few saw only small portions of the initial assault, and no witnesses directly saw the final attack and attempted rape in an exterior hallway which resulted in Genovese's death. [1]

Nevertheless, media attention to the Genovese murder led to reform of the NYPD's telephone reporting system; the system in place at the time of the assault was often inefficient and directed individuals to the incorrect department. The melodramatic press coverage also led to serious investigation of the bystander effect by academic psychologists. The bystander effect (also known as bystander apathy, Genovese syndrome, diffused responsibility or bystander intervention) is a psychological In addition, some communities organized Neighborhood Watch programs and the equivalent for apartment buildings to aid people in distress. A neighborhood watch (also called a crime watch or neighborhood crime watch) is a organized group of citizens devoted to Crime and Vandalism

Psychological research prompted by the murder

The supposed lack of reaction of numerous neighbors watching the scene prompted research into diffusion of responsibility and the bystander effect. Diffusion of responsibility is a Social phenomenon which tends to occur in groups of people above a certain critical size when responsibility is not explicitly assigned The bystander effect (also known as bystander apathy, Genovese syndrome, diffused responsibility or bystander intervention) is a psychological Social psychologists Darley and Latané started this line of research, showing that contrary to common expectations, larger numbers of bystanders decrease the likelihood that someone will step forward and help a victim. Reasons include that onlookers see that others—actually or presumably—do not help either, that onlookers believe others will know better how to help (not recognizing that nobody does), that onlookers feel insecure helping with others watching, and the general theme that onlookers tend not to act if if there are more bystanders present (see specific articles for details). The "Kitty Genovese case" thus became a textbook classic in psychology and especially social psychology textbooks.

In September 2007, the American Psychologist published an examination of the factual basis of coverage of the Kitty Genovese murder in psychology textbooks. The American Psychologist is the official Journal of the American Psychological Association. The three authors concluded the story is parable more than fact, largely owing to inaccurate newspaper coverage at the time of the incident. [10] "The since-challenged story of the circumstances surrounding Genovese's death 'continues to inhabit introductory social psychology textbooks (and thus the minds of future social psychologists),' the trio of British university professors write in the September issue of American Psychologist. The result is a lack of research into similar cases, their article maintains". [11]

Aftermath: 2007 and 2008

According to The New York Times, in an article dated December 28, 1974, ten years after the murder, 25-year-old Sandra Zahler was beaten to death early Christmas morning in an apartment of the building which overlooked the site of the Genovese attack. Events 1065 - Westminster Abbey is Consecrated. 1308 - The reign of Emperor Hanazono, Emperor of Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. Neighbors again said they heard screams and "fierce struggles" but did nothing. [12]

Moseley returned for another parole hearing Thursday, March 13, 2008, the 44th anniversary of Ms. Genovese's murder. It was denied. He will be eligible to go up for parole again in 2010. [13] The previous week, Moseley had turned 72 years old, and has still shown little remorse for murdering Genovese. [13] Genovese's brother, Vincent, was unaware of the March 13 hearing until he was contacted by Daily News reporters. [13] Vincent Genovese has reportedly never "recovered from the horror" of his sister's murder. [13] "This brings back what happened to her", Vincent had said; "the whole family remembers".

In popular culture

References

  1. ^ a b c Demay, Joseph. Kitty Genovese (English). English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States A Picture History of Kew Gardens, NY. Retrieved on 2007-03-12. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 538 - Witiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving
  2. ^ a b Kenneth T. Jackson: The Encyclopedia of New York City: The New York Historical Society; Yale University Press; 1995. P. 458.
  3. ^ "Queens Woman Is Stabbed to Death in Front of Home", New York Times, 1964-03-14, p. Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. Events 1489 - The Queen of Cyprus, Catherine Cornaro, sells her kingdom to Venice.  26. Retrieved on 2007-07-05. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1295 - Scotland and France form an alliance the beginnings of the Auld Alliance, against England.  
  4. ^ Dowd, Maureen. Maureen Dowd (born January 14, 1952) is a Washington DC -based Columnist for The New York Times. "20 years after the murder of Kitty Genovese, The question remains: Why?", New York Times, 1984-03-12, p. Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) Events 538 - Witiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving  B1. Retrieved on 2007-07-05. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1295 - Scotland and France form an alliance the beginnings of the Auld Alliance, against England.  
  5. ^ Rosenthal, A. M. (1964). Thirty-Eight Witnesses: The Kitty Genovese Case. University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-21527-3.  
  6. ^ Rasenberger, Jim (October 2006). "Nightmare On Austin Street". American Heritage Magazine.  
  7. ^ Barry, Dan. "Once Again, A Killer Makes His Pitch", New York Times, 2006-05-26, p. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place  b1. Retrieved on 2008-03-28. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 37 - Roman Emperor Caligula accepts the titles of the Principate, entitled to him by the Senate.  
  8. ^ Joe Mahoney, "Kitty's Killer Denied Parole — Again," "New York Daily News", 4 February 2006. Events 211 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus dies leaving the Roman Empire in the hands of his two quarrelsome sons Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.
  9. ^ Martin Gansberg, "Thirty-Eight Who Saw Murder Didn't Call the Police," New York Times, 27 March 1964. Events 196 BC - Ptolemy V ascends to the throne of Egypt. 1309 - Pope Clement V excommunicates Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar.
  10. ^ Manning, R. ; Levine, M; Collins, A. (September 2007). "The Kitty Genovese murder and the social psychology of helping; The parable of the 38 witnesses. ". American Psychologist (62): 555-562. The American Psychologist is the official Journal of the American Psychological Association.  
  11. ^ McShane, Larry. Genovese Syndrome: Fact or Fiction?. Associated Press. Retrieved on 2008-06-06. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1508 - Maximilian I Holy Roman Emperor, is defeated in Friulia by Venetian forces; he is forced to sign a three-year
  12. ^ Robert D. McFadden, "A Model's Dying Screams Are Ignored At the Site of Kitty Genovese's Murder", New York Times 27 December 1974, retrieved 7 March 2007. Events 537 - The Hagia Sophia is completed 1512 - The Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. Events 161 - Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius dies and is succeeded by co-Emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
  13. ^ a b c d Deny parole to '64 Kitty Genovese horror killer, says victim's brother. New York Daily News (March 10, 2008). Events 241 BC - First Punic War: Battle of the Aegates Islands - The Romans sink the Carthaginian fleet bringing 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Retrieved on 2008-03-10. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 241 BC - First Punic War: Battle of the Aegates Islands - The Romans sink the Carthaginian fleet bringing
  14. ^ Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 99

See also

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External links

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