09/02/2008
Man Confesses to Weekend Murder of Gay NYC Student in Chelsea
A suspect has confessed to the murder of Kevin Pravia, a 19-year-old gay student who was killed in his apartment on 15th street in the Chelsea district of Manhattan over the weekend following a party near the city's South Street Seaport.
Report: Neighbors, friends pay respects, mourn.
According to the NY Daily News, Pravia's body was discovered — a cord around his neck and a plastic bag shoved down his throat — by his roommate Josephine Madonna, when she returned from a weekend trip:
"Police sources said they were testing theplastic bag, sheet and cord for forensic evidence and looking through surveillance video to see who came in and outof the building. The student's death has not been officially ruled a murder. An autopsy was inconclusive and further tests were needed. As cops dug for clues, Pravia's mother, Paula, made a grim pilgrimage to New York from Peru, Mass., to identify her son. Police said there was no evidence of forced entry or sexual assault. A neighbor, who asked not to be identified, said Madonna and Pravia, friends from Massachusetts, moved into the Chelsea building just two week ago. He was gay and Madonna is straight, the neighbor said. 'His [moving boxes are] still in the hallway,' she said. Another neighbor, Teresa Hicks, 41, was startled when Madonna, who was away for several days, screamed when she found the body in the fifth-floor apartment. 'The girl was shouting, 'My God! My God! He's dead,'' Hicks said."
The NY Post reports: "A 22-year-old Queens man has confessed to killing a Pace University student, who was found strangled in his Chelsea apartment Sunday, police sources said today. The unidentified suspect told cops that he choked and robbed victim Kevin Pravia, 19, after meeting him in Union Square at about 6 a.m. Sunday and accompanying him back to his home. The suspect allegedly told investigators that he bought drugs from Pravia before they went to the apartment - though police sources said they doubt the drug buy claim. Exactly why they went back to the apartment was unclear. But after arriving there and hanging out for a while, Pravia fell asleep, the suspect told cops. That when he allegedly tried to rob the student. The suspect told cops that he punched the sleeping teen, put an electrical cord around his neck, stuffed a plastic bag in his mouth and strangled him."
Sphere: Related ContentPosted 2:17 PM EST by Andy in Crime, New York, News | Permalink
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Gah, I hate when there are pictures of the deceased accompanying stories like this. It's heartbreaking. He looks so happy.
Posted by: Jordan | Sep 2, 2008 2:32:30 PM
"The student's death has not been officially ruled a murder. An autopsy was inconclusive and further tests were needed."
Give me a break! So much for the police. Without the reported confession I'm confident the police would still be trying to decide. I wonder if there would still have been a question if the victim were not known to be gay. I'm waiting for the "panic" defense. It wouldn't be murder then, would it.
Posted by: Fred4 | Sep 2, 2008 2:36:00 PM
"The student's death has not been officially ruled a murder. An autopsy was inconclusive and further tests were needed."
Give me a break! So much for the police. Without the reported confession I'm confident the police would still be trying to decide. I wonder if there would still have been a question if the victim were not known to be gay. I'm waiting for the "panic" defense. It wouldn't be murder then, would it.
Posted by: Fred4 | Sep 2, 2008 2:36:50 PM
God that is fucking awful!!! Why did he have to kill him? It makes my blood boil!
Posted by: Giovanni | Sep 2, 2008 2:40:38 PM
Yet another murder of a LGBT citizen! This is quickly rising to epidemic proportions. How many has that been this year alone? Even more disturbing is how many more? And where are our so-called leaders and why aren't they pushing the politicians on hate-crime laws? It seems to me this free-for-all is happening around us and it's taken a back seat to the election. It's open season on queers and no one seems to care.
Posted by: JerzeeMike | Sep 2, 2008 2:41:06 PM
Yet another murder of a LGBT citizen! This is quickly rising to epidemic proportions. How many has that been this year alone? Even more disturbing is how many more? And where are our so-called leaders and why aren't they pushing the politicians on hate-crime laws? It seems to me this free-for-all is happening around us and it's taken a back seat to the election. It's open season on queers and no one seems to care.
Posted by: JerzeeMike | Sep 2, 2008 2:42:13 PM
An extremely sad story...my heart goes out to the friends and family. At least the police have the perpetrator in custody. He may have killed again.
Posted by: John | Sep 2, 2008 2:46:10 PM
And while I'm at it, can't you just hear the Phelps nutbags revving-up the RV now?! I'm thoroughly disgusted with America anymore!!!!
Posted by: JerzeeMike | Sep 2, 2008 2:49:52 PM
i hope this poor baby rests in peace. whoever did this will burn in hell. hopefully something good will come from this hellish story.
Posted by: josh | Sep 2, 2008 2:49:52 PM
It is absolutely absurd for the paper to say that it's not clear it was murder. No suicide or self-inflicted accidental death has ever involved a plastic bag down a person's throat.
It's heart-breaking to see his picture, and to imagine what his roommate is going through. A young naif in the big city is what I'm guessing here. Sad.
Posted by: Paul R | Sep 2, 2008 2:50:19 PM
The kid must have felt pretty comfortable with his guest to just "fall asleep" with him in the apartment.
No sign of sexual assault? How about consensual sex? Perhaps they hooked up, partied for a while and then the killer did what he did? Doesn't seem like a hate crime or anything like that...
Poor kid.
Posted by: MikeinSanJose | Sep 2, 2008 3:02:41 PM
Horrible story. So sad. It's not clear here, but both the Post and the News reported friends saying he left the party at 5am, and was extremely drunk- he needed to be helped into a cab. This may have led to a lack of judgement, bringing a stranger home when he was vulnerable. The poor kid.
And what a beast who did this- why? The post says they caught the guy-because he was robbing his father's house. Piece of trash.
Posted by: Desca | Sep 2, 2008 3:17:59 PM
So sad. I've been following this all day. So, so sad
Posted by: gabriel | Sep 2, 2008 3:25:25 PM
I am appalled, sickened, saddened, and...ugh. Kevin reminds me of some of my friends, which makes something as terrible as this hit even closer to home - it could have been anyone. Sick sick sick. I'm glad they caught the bastard, but it won't bring Kevin back.
Posted by: Aaron | Sep 2, 2008 4:31:49 PM
I am appalled, sickened, saddened, and...ugh. Kevin reminds me of some of my friends, which makes something as terrible as this hit even closer to home - it could have been anyone. Sick sick sick. I'm glad they caught the bastard, but it won't bring Kevin back.
Posted by: Aaron | Sep 2, 2008 4:32:24 PM
I am appalled, sickened, saddened, and...ugh. Kevin reminds me of some of my friends, which makes something as terrible as this hit even closer to home - it could have been anyone. Sick sick sick. I'm glad they caught the bastard, but it won't bring Kevin back.
Posted by: Aaron | Sep 2, 2008 4:32:33 PM
Its sad to read this especially after I read about the Log Cabin Republicans endorsement of John McCain. A man who has voted twice against hate crime legislation. My heart goes to this young man's family and friends.
Posted by: Becky | Sep 2, 2008 4:49:44 PM
Yeah Becky, surely once Obama is president this type of thing won't happen anymore
Posted by: Vi Agara | Sep 2, 2008 5:35:53 PM
Well, at very least once Obama is elected the party in power won't encourage this sort of behavior towards LGBT Americans.
Regretably, George Bush's America encourages this sort of behavior. Strangely, no gay children are ever born to red neck southern cuntry republicans.
Prsaise be to JEEBUZ
Posted by: MikeinSanJose | Sep 2, 2008 6:41:12 PM
Very, very sad to read this... what a tragic loss for Kevin's friends and family, and what a horrible way to die. The cruelty we humans inflict on each other is simply staggering. I am glad that they have apprehended the murderous bastard that did this!
Posted by: CK | Sep 2, 2008 8:24:09 PM
There's a good reason that the police haven't officially declared it a murder--they want to present the accused with the possibility of a lesser criminal charge, hoping he'll confess. With the confession in hand, the DA can pursue whatever greater charge he/she thinks will stand up in court. It's not bad police work, it's good prosecutorial strategy.
Posted by: Pat | Sep 2, 2008 8:50:54 PM
What is wrong with people? Lord have mercy.
This sort of story reminds me why I don't like to invite strange men back to my home...you just never know who's just a cute guy and who's the next Jeffrey Dahmer.
Posted by: Ben | Sep 3, 2008 8:11:18 AM
What the hell?!
What sort of person thinks that doing something like this is right?
I mean, what, were they not standing in line the day that they were handing out consciences?!
Posted by: Amit | Sep 5, 2008 3:22:46 AM