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"Stupid Jury" Finds Bicycling Stabber Who Defended Himself Not Guilty
By
John Del Signore
Published Jul 7, 2011
Modified Jul 7, 2011
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By
John Del Signore
Published Jul 7, 2011
Modified Jul 7, 2011
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The ex-con with an alleged penchant for riding his bike around stabbing random pedestrians has successfully defended himself against the most serious charge of attempted murder in a recent trial, in which he was accused of stabbing 37-year-old Eduarda Olivia in the chest as she walked with her 13-year-old daughter in Long Island City in June 2008. 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. And when he got out of prison, he allegedly did it again to Olivia, though prosecutors failed to persuade the jury it was attempted murder.
After 12 hours of deliberations, the jury did, however, find Granger guilty of first-degree assault, for which he faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison. During the two week trial, Granger cross-examined Olivia himself, driving her to tears on the witness stand with questions like, "My eyes are evil?" He also cross-examined two victims he stabbed at random in 2004. Awkward! And though it seemed like his decision to represent himself would backfire, it appears the Queens DA was just no match for the white shoe legal team of Eli, Granger & Evil Eyes. One of the alternate jurors tells the Post, "I cannot believe they found him not guilty. They are all stupid, all twelve of them."
Tagged
bike stabber
bike-by stabber
cycling stabber
eli granger
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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