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Bodies Found In Bronx Blaze Were "Butchered" First
By
Max Rivlin-Nadler
Published May 9, 2013
Modified May 9, 2013
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By
Max Rivlin-Nadler
Published May 9, 2013
Modified May 9, 2013
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Two bodies recovered from a fire in the Castle Hill section of the Bronx were apparently "butchered" before the blaze.
"Both victims appear to have been stabbed multiple times," a source told the Post, raising the possibility that the men were murdered with the fire set to cover up the killings. (The bodies of two murdered men who double-crossed drug dealers were dumped in a Queens marsh and set on fire in March.)
Over 60 firefighters responded to the fire on Wednesday morning, only to find two unidentified dead men in their twenties.
Neighbors reported that throughout the night they heard sounds of a confrontation. "It sound[ed] like someone was fighting next door and the banging wouldn't stop," neighbor Kim Williams told reporters. "They were three young men who just moved in. I was extremely worried because I have my seven-month-old grandson, my daughter and my dog all in the house. My daughter was shaken up because she woke up and her whole bedroom was cloudy with smoke."
One of the bodies had suffered trauma to their head. The two men were burned beyond recognition, but NBC New York reports, "Sources say police also found a gun on the nightstand inside the apartment, and it appears at least one of the men had been shot or stabbed prior to the fire." The third man was nowhere to be found, but a back door to the apartment was left open.
Tagged
arson
bronx
fdny
fire
murder
Max Rivlin-Nadler
Max Rivlin-Nadler has been a contributor to Gothamist since 2013. He has also reported for the New York Times, NPR, and The Intercept. His years-long investigation into New York City's arcane civil forfeiture laws led to a series of reforms which altered a practice that had been taking millions from poor communities for decades. Recently, he brought back a surfing habit from a few years on the west coast, and would love to see you all out in the Rockaways.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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