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Rashawn Brazell's Murder: Four Years Later, No Leads, No Arrests

It has been four years since the death of  Rashawn Brazell.

On the day of February 14, 2005, the 19-year-old black gay Brooklyn man left his home with his résumés prepared to go job hunting. He was never seen again. During the following weeks, parts of his dismembered limbs and were discovered in trash bags in a subway tunnel and in a recycling plant in Brooklyn. In the four year investigation there have been no leads and no arrests. "We still don't know where he got killed, or why," a senior investigator told The New York Times on the one year anniversary. "It's frustrating."

As is often the case in the disappearance or killing of young black LGBT men and women, the story was initially ignored by most mainstream and gay media. Months later it gained some traction. The young black gay man's memory lives on through the Rashawn Brazell Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Four years and nothing. Will detectives ever find the killer?

Thanks NATHAN JAMES
Photo ANDY

More RASHAWN BRAZELL

"At Thirteen"

Just yesterday, we mentioned a new advertising campaign that sought to reduce homophobia within black and Latino families, and, hopefully, curtail homelessness among lgbt youth of color.

Here's more for you to chew on: Taylor Siluwé at SGL Café uploads the video of a very moving spoken word performance entitled "At Thirteen." Performance artist Kenneth Morrison dedicates this poem to his friend Devon who committed suicide at age 13. It begins: "At 13 he holds the blade against his vein/Struggling to remain sane/And find escape from the pain/He's forced to sustain/And being strictly forbidden from existing as is." The video is cut with imagery from remembrances for the deaths of Sakia Gunn and Rashawn Brazell, as well as Jersey City Pride, New York Pride and the Millions More March.

"It's tough to be a teenager, to be African American, and to be gay," Siluwé observes. "Imagine being all three." Unfortunately, as Bernie noted in comments, the more frightening specter is that at 13 years old, a young man found death more appealing than life. We know that the research shows lgbt teens are more likely to be depressed or suicidal. But it's always a helpful reminder to attach a name or face to those numbers to drive the point home.

If you have a few minutes, please watch the video.

Previously:

Would You Stop Loving Him? (Rod 2.0) Pier Kids (Rod 2.0) (Virtual) Sex and the City (Rod 2.0)

Rashawn Brazell: One Year Later

While many of us spend this Valentine's Day with thoughts of chocolates or roses, it's not been a pleasant week for one Brooklyn family: This is the first anniversary of the disappearance of Rashawn Brazell. There was a touching profile of the case in yesterday's New York Times, where frustrated detectives admit that they are no closer to finding the killer(s) who dismembered the teenager.

As cold cases go, Mr. Brazell's stands out, as much for the grisly way his body was disposed of as for the person his relatives and friends said he was: an energetic, grounded 19-year-old who loved music, cooking and going to clubs and who, with his résumés prepared, was set to go hunt for a job the day he disappeared.

"This victim was not leading a criminal lifestyle," said the investigator, who was not authorized to speak for attribution since the case is open. "You have to feel for that family."

Try as we might, it's almost impossible to feel the tremendous agony experienced by Desiree Brazell-Jones, Rashawn's mother. The killer(s) remains free and investigators never found a full set of remains. "I want who did this off the street, and I want the rest of my child. That's the bottom line."

Thanks to Andy for the subway photo.

A Year After a Teenager Was Dismembered, Still No Answer (NYT)

RashawnBrazell.com

Rashawn Brazell Collective (Yahoo! Groups)

Previously:

Rashawn Brazell: A Memorial (Rod 2.0) Six Months (Rod 2.0) Mother's Day Blues (Rod 2.0) Rashawn Who? (brotha2Brotha)

Rashawn Brazell: A Memorial

For the past six months, you've read about the tragic circumstances and mystery surrounding the death of Rashawn Brazell. In February, the 19-year old gay man was murdered and dismembered in Brooklyn. The brutal slaying remains unsolved, but a grassroots community effort has catapulted the case to center stage.

Normally, we don't advertise events on these pages—it becomes problematic, and everyone has a cause celebre—but there is something happening this weekend that is too important not to discuss. On Sunday August 28, the official launch party for the Rashawn Brazell Memorial Scholarship will be held downtown at Luke & Leroy. The requested donation is only ten dollars. One hundred percent of your donation will fund the college education of a New York City student committed to the fight against racism, sexism and homophobia.

If you're not in the Tri-State, no problem. Consider a tax-deductible donation to the Rashawn Brazell Memorial Scholarship Fund. For more information, visit the fund here or any of the sites below:

The Larry Lyons Experience RB Collective Yahoo Group Rashawn Brazell.com Steven G. Fullwood Troy Notorious

Six Months

Six months later, no suspects, no arrests. (photo Towleroad)

For more on the Rashawn Brazell Memorial Scholarship launch party, see Ronn or Steven G.

Rashawn Brazell Remembered

Rashawn Brazell would have turned 20 in April. Instead of a celebration, his birthday was marked with candlelight vigils and town hall meetings. By then, his February murder had faded from headlines.

But a growing number of New York-area bloggers, many of them African-American and gay, like Brazell, are keeping his memory, and the search for his killer, alive.

So begins a strong piece of enterprise journalism in this morning's Newsday. Andrew Lavallee's So He Won't Be Forgotten documents the virtual community's efforts to bring awareness to the brutal February slaying of the young Brooklyn man ... as well as keep the heat on police and prosecutors to pursue leads and collar a suspect.

As mentioned previously, my newsroom years have demonstrated that cases like these—young, black, gay, violent death, outer borough—are almost guaranteed to the obscurity of the Metro Section or overnights on NY1. Luckily that has changed because ...

Within several weeks of Brazell's killing, people began blogging about the incident. Today, there are at least 10 sites, including rashawnbrazell.com, that have discussed his murder.

Some bloggers are trying to keep the story alive, while others are trying to organize.

Lavallee mentioned a number of bloggers, sites and organizations—RashawnBrazell.com, Terrance at the Republic of T, Donald, Kenyon Farrow at GMAD, POCC and yours truly. But many more have helped in some form or fashion, via support or action. Just by reading this you are bringing awareness to the case.

The article is yet another example of Newsday's commitment to covering local news in Brooklyn and Queens. The Long Island paper is more sympathetic to minority concerns. The Times' limousine liberalism often doesn't extend beyond hiring or the Manhattan Bridge, and the Post is a virtual propoganda mill for the Archie Bunkers and closet bigots of the Tri-State. True, the Times is the paper of record and the "If It Bleeds, It Leads" Post has more investigative sources. But often Newsday usually can be counted upon for more in-depth local reporting. After all, we're looking to put a human face and extend empathy to the news.

Mother's Day Blues

A chilling picture in the latest Gay City News. Photographer Bernard Morisset lensed the above black and white image, the funeral urn and remains of slain Brooklyn teenager Rashawn Brazell. The 19-year old gay man was murdered and dismembered in February; much of his remains were not found, so the compact urn is not much larger than a potted plant.

Rashawn's mother is Desire Brazell, who consented to a rare interview. She has not spoken to reporters since shortly after parts of her son's body were discovered at a Brooklyn subway station in February. The report was filed by Mike Meenan, who's done an admirable job of covering this case since the winter. His piece poignantly opens with irony: "For the first time in years, one Brooklyn woman finally had her two children together under the same roof on Mother’s Day." Except in this home, one of her boys is on the mantle. The other has since been arrested on firearms charges following death threats made to the family.

If you were reading my former website brotha2Brotha, you may recall my March essay on newsroom racial composition and coverage of the homicide investigations. From years of working in local and network newsrooms, experience shows that cases such as the Brazell's are rarely given prominence. Fellow producers tend to be white and more empathetic with abducted blond ten year old girls; case in point, massive resources were shifted to the Runaway Bride while a contemporary story of a missing black woman, Tamika Houston, was virtually ignored. Numerous planning meetings come to mind when staff dismissed violent crimes because the victims were not "newsworthy. "

But some good news here: Rashawn' mother is not disheartened by the lack of media coverage. She's come to peace with the realization that headlines will not collar a suspect; detectives will. Hopefully. Although the investigation remains unsolved, Ms. Brazell says she is confident that the police are making progress. One has to admire her strength.