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Post by Scumhunter on Feb 11, 2014 10:36:26 GMT -5
 (Above photo credit: New York Daily News website) The case of Rashawn Brazell is what John Walsh described on AMW as "the most gruesome murder in New York City history." The nine-year anniversary of Rashawn's disappearance and death is coming up. He was only 19 years old in February of 2005 when he left his mother's Gates Avenue apartment in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn. According to wikipedia, the reason Brazell left was a man had buzzed his apartment and he went down to meet him. Three days after the teen’s disappearance, two subway workers made a horrific discovery in a tunnel leading to the Nostrand Ave. station in nearby Bedford-Stuyvesant. The trackmen found a bloody plastic bag filled with body parts on a concrete tunnel catwalk north of the A-train platform. The AMW airing interviewed Rashawn's obviously heartbroken and devastated mother. They also revealed Rashawn was gay, leading to many theories on why Rashawn was murdered. (Was it a hate-filled man who didn't approve of Rashawn's sexuality? Was it a jealous ex-lover?) AMW also revealed it seemed Brazell was possibly murdered days after he left his mother's apartment, alluding to the possibility he may have been kidnapped and tortured as well. (I'm working off my memory here, but I remember the re-enactment pretty well). Despite a $22,000 reward for information and multiple airings on AMW the case has never been solved. According to a New York Daily News with Rashawn's mother, a woman called AMW anonymously but then hung up. During a march for Brazell, a woman approached Rashawn's mother but then disappeared and "blended into the crowd" Thoughts? I said on the old AMW.COM forums that I felt unlike others, this is a solvable case. I believe so many people in his community knew him, that someone knows something about the death of Rashawn, as possibly indicated by the woman or women who seemed to want to talk but then got spooked. My personal feeling and this is just a theory is that this may have been a planned robbery. It was either someone Rashawn barely knew or someone he met off the internet. I stress this is just a theory, but it's just a hunch based on the fact he did meet an unknown person in the morning. If anyone remembers the case of Sama Quinland (of course most forum members do), him and associates met a gay man off craigslist in order to rob him and kill him. This murder does seem personal for just a robbery, but who knows if this was a "thrill kill" for the killer as well. However, that's just one theory I have and who knows if I'm right or wrong. The important thing is getting justice. Nearly nine years has been way too long.
AMW is no longer on the air, but according to articles, anyone with any information can call NYPD Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPSen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Rashawn_Brazellwww.nydailynews.com/new-york/brutal-brooklyn-butchering-cold-forgotten-article-1.1272230Admin Note: If you have any news-related updated information on this case, please contact us here: amwfans.com/thread/1662/website-contact-form |
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Post by HeadMarshal on Feb 11, 2014 10:47:34 GMT -5
You covered everything I could have said so excellent job with this case description and theories. This case really needs to be solved.
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Post by Scumhunter on Feb 12, 2014 8:23:33 GMT -5
Thanks Derek.
Also I realize this forum doesn't have the reach AMW did but we have a few more visitors than when we first started. So if anyone happens to come across this site that knows anything about this case, I will repeat what John Walsh always said on AMW: YOU CAN REMAIN ANONYMOUS! Call the Crimestoppers line and tell them you don't want to reveal your identity but you want to do the right thing. I understand it's scary, but imagine if it was your loved one.
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Post by pakman on Feb 13, 2014 15:40:41 GMT -5
To me, this was one of the most solvable unsolved murders AMW profiled in recent years. Even without a suspect name, there were still plenty of clues in this case, including the unique bag the body parts were found in and the fact that the medical examiner said the cuts on Rashawn's body were very clean, suggesting someone familiar with power tools committed the murder (or at least dismembered Rashawn).
Though I personally subscribe to the theory that it was a hate crime, and that Rashawn was killed because he was gay. Why would you go through all that trouble of killing and dismembering someone unless it was a deep-seeded hatred? I think some wonder if it was an Andrew Cunanan-type person who targeted members of the gay community specifically, but I'm not so sure.
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Post by profiler24 on Mar 2, 2014 12:02:37 GMT -5
Back on the old amw, and in the description of the case, it was said that a witness saw Rashawn in the company of an unknown man, why a sketch of the suspect has never been made? Four other questions come to my mind, why hasn't there been any ip tracing of the anonymous caller in order to identify who she was? Why also a sketch of the woman who approached Rashawn's mother hasn't been made? Have any finger prints or dna been found on the bags? If the bags were very specific transportation numbered bags with the proper investigation through the organization who ordered these bags, you would know who ordered or where it was sold, so why hasn't any investigation been made on those leads?
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Post by Scumhunter on Mar 2, 2014 12:15:25 GMT -5
In regards to the anonymous call it was to AMW's hotline. AMW does not have a caller ID or trace calls (or at least they claimed not to) in order to gain the public's trust.
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Post by profiler24 on Mar 2, 2014 12:27:15 GMT -5
In regards to the anonymous call it was to AMW's hotline. AMW does not have a caller ID or trace calls (or at least they claimed not to) in order to gain the public's trust. I know but the police and specific forensic units have the ability to trace calls, they also get in touch with the telecommunication operator who will reveal from which adress was passed the call, when and to who the phone number belongs. The telecommunication operator will comply to law enforcement when it is told to so. |
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Post by Scumhunter on Mar 2, 2014 12:37:27 GMT -5
With the NSA controversy in the news and such, this is a touchy subject, but I certainly understand your point.
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Post by Scumhunter on Jul 3, 2015 20:36:56 GMT -5
Ok, re-watched the Brazell segment on YouTube and the unique bag was made only for New York's MTA (Metropolitan Transit Authority). The brand name was "Rooster." It was a prototype and only 15 were made around the time of Brazell's murder. Below is a photo I found online of the bag from a local news report:  |
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Post by HeadMarshal on Feb 22, 2017 11:10:53 GMT -5
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Post by Scumhunter on Feb 22, 2017 12:38:41 GMT -5
As we've said all along, this was not in our opinion an unsolvable case, and when you add in the usual excellent detective work of the NYPD, justice delayed is NOT justice denied.
I am looking forward to hearing more about this breaking news.
The next difficult part for Rashawn's mother and other loved ones of his will be the trial, so this is a great day, but so much is left to be done here.
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Post by Scumhunter on Feb 22, 2017 12:43:33 GMT -5
Found the article updated and now states the accused is Kwauhuru Govan, who was charged in November 2016 with the 2004 murder of 17-year-old Sharabia Thomas, who had disappeared on her way to school in Bedford-Stuyvesant for a field trip. Her body was found in two laundry bags the day after she vanished. So there's a still a lot of unanswered questions as far as motive as it seems Govan has allegedly killed before, but a teenage girl as opposed to a gay teenage boy. Hopefully the press conference answers these question. I'm thrilled two families may now receive justice, but heartbroken to learn of yet another tragic killing allegedly at the hands of Govan. pix11.com/2017/02/22/first-on-pix11-arrest-made-in-2005-cold-case-murder-of-dismembered-brooklyn-teen-in-subway-tunnel/ |
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Post by Scumhunter on Feb 22, 2017 12:46:15 GMT -5
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Post by Scumhunter on Feb 23, 2017 4:02:41 GMT -5
According to news reports, Govan had to literally be dragged kicking and screaming into the courtroom claiming he was framed, yelling out "is this what President Trump will allow?" and refusing to be fingerprinted. Apparently he needs to be brought back to court each day he isn't fingerprinted. All I have to say to Mr. Govan is stop the shenanigans. If you were truly innocent as you claim to be, you have a defense attorney. Keep your mouth shut, because these kind of outbursts will only make you look more and more guilty. www.nytimes.com/2017/02/22/nyregion/cold-case-arrest-kwauhuru-govan-brooklyn-rashawn-brazell.html?_r=0 |
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Post by Scumhunter on Feb 25, 2017 0:32:53 GMT -5
There are two more dismemberment cases in Brooklyn Govan may be tied to, and from what I read authorities want to see if there's any similar cases in Florida and/or California (the two states Govan spent time in besides NY) that he may be tied to. Kind of crazy how in the past year two very infamous singular AMW cases- the Chesnee Motorbike Quadruple homicide and now the Rashawn Brazell homicide were both solved and the suspects in both cases wound up being possible serial killers. Makes me wonder about a bunch of other AMW-aired unsolved cases and how many are really the "lone victim" of the perpetrator. pix11.com/2017/02/24/first-on-pix11-2-more-dismembered-victims-possibly-tied-to-suspected-brooklyn-serial-killer/ |
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