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Man Accused Of Burning Woman In Elevator Held Without Bail
By
Jen Chung
Published Dec 20, 2011
Modified Dec 20, 2011
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WCBS 2
By
Jen Chung
Published Dec 20, 2011
Modified Dec 20, 2011
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The Brooklyn man who allegedly confessed to cops that he killed a 73-year-old neighbor by setting her on fire in a Prospect Heights elevator appeared in court yesterday. Jerome Isaac, 47, was seen with burns on the left side of his face
Surveillance video from 203 Underhill Avenue showed a man spraying Gillepsie with fuel, then tossing a Molotov cocktail, and finally spraying her again. Gillepsie burned to death in the elevator, and police say that Isaac turned himself in and confessed to the crime. The Brooklyn DA's office asked that he be held without bail for killing Delores Gillespie. It's believed that Isaac was upset that Gillepsie had not paid him for various odd jobs he performed for her. Prosecutor Kenneth Taub said, "I know this is the defendant’s first offense, but the depravity of this one single act is beyond my description... The evidence of this particularly heinous and brutal murder is beyond question... When he was arrested, he was reeking of accelerant... The burns on his body are consistent with the images."
Isaac was held without bail (his lawyer did not ask for bail) and Gillepsie's family and friends remain stunned. One told WCBS 2, "You think about burning in Hell. It makes no sense. This even goes beyond evil. It’s wicked what he did to a nice lady."
Tagged
brooklyn
delores gillepsie
elevator
jerome isaac
killing
molotov cocktail
murder
prospect heights
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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