My housemates and I lived across the street from a very active crack house, we saw people dealing guns and drugs from the trunk of a car parked in front of our house, and we heard close gunfire (usually in the alley next to our house)every single night. It was indeed a scary time, but if you did not buy or sell drugs, you could stay out of their sights. So of course the stats would look like blacks were just killing each other and nothing else happened as far as crime. I can ride down some streets and still remember how it was in my mind. WebIn the early afternoon of January 1, 2006, the bodies of Kathryn, Bryan, Stella, and Ruby Harvey were found dead in the basement of their burning house in the Woodland Heights This drop has given Richmond something previously unseen: the month without any homicides. More facts: through the first six months of 2010, RVA had only 19 of the 51 killings in the area (and its 25 of 57 as of today). And theres treatment. Thanks for this presentation, John. She has also burned her maternal uncle's Bible and set his bed on fire.". (Some old news accounts reported 44 that year.) My great-grandmother is from Blackwell. as a member of the infamous Poison Clan Posse i saw first hand some of the violence that took place back then and i can confirm what you guys are saying. My question to Jake is how long have you worked at MCV?? The U.S. Census population estimate for 2018 was 228,783. no one came to see me there and i had a rottweiler. the number of homicides per 100,000 population) from 1999 to 2018. Richard Tipton, 22, was convicted of six murder charges and acquitted of two, and James H. Roane Jr., 26, was convicted of four murder counts. We had just a hair over 20 killings per 100,000 residents in 2010, a number on par with recent years and a far cry form a high of 81 per 100,000 in 1994. But detectives and police brass kept the details to themselves so they could catch the killer. Ive been trying to look into a homicide committed on august 14,1987..the victim was Jeff Davis, his killer was terry oconner page, I cant find anything on this particular homicide maybe because it was so long ago but if anyone can point me in a direction. Stories on Richmond murder made both Americas Most Wanted and got notice in December 5 piece in USA Today. Weve had a 30 percent decrease in homicides compared to this same time period last year. Miller, 40, now faces up to life in prison for the murders of the elderly couple found bludgeoned and slashed to death April 9, 1993, at their farm in Richmond. I am a big believer in the broken window theory! Advertise With Us Could you run that back a little further? Working at MCV, I saw alot of people the last couple of months that died of either stabbings or gun shots. Sixty and seventy years ago, city leaders were talking about hiring blacks in the police department and about "economic conditions" and "educational opportunities" to slow the steady tide of death. Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Firefighters in Georgia came to the rescue of a dog who fell into a storm drain and ended up stranded about 12 feet underground. Three bison escape Maine farm, two recaptured. John The defendants could receive the death penalty or life in prison. Forensics, community policing, and overall professionalism have made huge differences. Someone said things changed because of gentrification? I live at the corner of Mulberry/Parkwood and would have to agree that there has been insane improvements. A Richmond man was sentenced to 78 months in prison for owning a firearm while being a convicted felon, according to the Department of Justice. Ill be excerpting this story for a ByrdPark.net feature so people can reminisce and/or thank their lucky stars. WebSeptember 22, 1993: 1: Virginia, USA : Herman Charles BARNES: June 27, 1985: 2: Virginia, USA : Gregory Warren BEAVER. This is way outside of my capability to self-fund. A 1989 law under the federal drug kingpin statute made murder during a continuing criminal enterprise a capital crime. Family members and friends of Thomas and Brown filled opposite sides of the York courtroom Thursday to hear Thomas enter his guilty pleas. The murder clearance rate hit an all-time low in 2020, and data analyzed by a nonprofit shows that trend continued last year. Each of these quiet months has come in the last 8 months, and 2 of them have come in 2010. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. I just re-read my post, and I think the point I wanted to make is in regard to the comments about black on black crime. The same stabbing in Oregon Hill or shooting up by Fairfield that doesnt make the news would be played differently were it to go down in Carytown. RISSELL, Joseph And the roots of the tragedies - and where they are concentrated - remain stubbornly similar based on news reports then, and now. (PDF). ''He asked her not to tell anyone about it, not to tarnish his ministry,'' Esther Brown said. WebAs of Sunday, the Richmond Police Department (RPD) had reported 53 deadly shootings in the city, and last year at this time there had been 54. Walgreens and CVS arent shooting it out with each other over territorial disputes. It was rough, to say the least. In the first 28 years for which there is monthly data available, there was not a month in Richmond without someone being killed. i can only imagine that Richmond is a very different place from what it was back in the 90s. Subscribe Thanks for taking the time to do this. After my parents divorce we moved uptown. Any one or two of these incidents might happen in a given year, but that year seemed to see it all (including a triple killing on 31st Street in Sugar Bottom, and twin killings on 30th/O Street and 30th/P Streets less than 24 hours apart). I lived through the carnage of the early 90s in Richmond, although not on the hill. With recent years showing the lowest body counts since 1961, the citys population back up over 200,000, and VCU having greatly expanded, it is difficult to imagine that mid-1990s Richmond was ever real. Were celebrating our 40th anniversary with monthly dives into our archives. I almost forgot, I had a cook out the night the the Briley bros. (one at least) were executed. Is that your point of reference?? Results of a DNA test released at Thursday's trial said that it is 99.99 percent certain that Hugh Brown was the father of the fetus the medical examiner discovered in Thomas' body. I am curious to hear what your opinion is on why the homicide rate went from 161 in 1994 to 37 last year. WebThe man who called himself Lawrence Vanner was arrested in September 2002, after police found Jun dead and buried under a pile of kitty litter in the basement of her East But many of the homicides were a result of arguments, fights and robberies. chimbarozo park was crazy dangerous. Going back to at least 1980, Richmond has only had three months without any homicides. The only one that I can find is the story MAN IS KILLED IN SHOOTING ON SOUTH SIDE from February 6, 1994 that starts off: A 24-year-old man was shot in the head several times early yesterday in South Richmond and died less than an hour later. He was just out of it. Not to say theyre less important but, as a reader, I wouldnt care if a woman stabbed another if they were acquainted. Richmond had 52 murders in 1968 and 89 in 1972, when the city's population was 243,000 after the big annexation of South Side. Richmond is a safe place to livewith a very few neighborhoods that are not safe. I see victims of gun violence all the time, yet it isnt always reported, therefore, please dont think Richmond is becoming any safer. Seven sheep escape from New Jersey slaughterhouse, find new sanctuary home. Dog rescued after falling 12 feet into Georgia storm drain. During the sentencing, Duling reviewed Anderson's extensive record and glanced at a picture of the murder scene before the body of Caroline Cooke was removed, the T-D reported at the time. WebInteractive chart of the Richmond, Virginia murder rate (i.e. Out of curiosity, I crunched these numbers into the annual murder rate (FBI uses incidents per 100,000 population). the Murderpedia project stay alive. There were 9 killings in the Byrd Park/Randolph/Maymount area in 1994, including an early evening double homicide in a store parking lot. Ive lived in Church Hill and on the west end (which doesnt count). NAPOLETANO Jr. Syvasky @2020 - Church Hill Peoples News. most of us from the Clan have all done time or is still locked up. BLOODGOOD. 2009 shows 41, this was later revised to 39. There were more murders that year than in 2007, 2008, 2009, and the 1st half of 2010 combined. @C. Wayne Taylor Thats interesting. At least I know the police are just around the corner and will be at my door in less than 5 minutes if I call (and Ive called before). 0. After going 28+ years without a break, the city has seen no murders in 3 of the last 8 months. I think local crime UNDER reporting is a valid concern: http://www.oregonhill.net/2010/06/20/laurel-street-stabbing-this-past-friday-night/. To make a long story short I was born and raise on Southside. August 1994 was the worst month in Richmonds history for killings at 25, or almost one every day. There have been a number of crack houses everywhere. Any details about what happened? * OJ Simpson chase Caroline Cooke was one of them. Lived off Jeff Davis in 98 for 2 yrs about 1mile south of Afton ave. Got involved in all the wrong things in those years and they have shaped my future immensely. So there are areas that are certainly safer, but there are still areas where you wouldnt want your children to be outside after dark., 1910 Byrd Ave., Suite 100Richmond, VA 23230804-355-0111, Target Communications Inc., T/A Richmond Magazine. I did not live in Richmond in the 90s. The vast majority of the victims that year were young black men, and they were shot to death. Richardson the morning after the murder. It means the wounds were severe enough for a locality to send them to a larger hospital. Going with the lower number of 32 homicides in 2008, there were 3 months that year with no homicides: May, August, and December. Business owners on E. Broad and Grace Streets pulled down their security grates and walked away. This article is an exhample of why CHPN was awarded the best community blog award this year. That and the spike in 1942 are from annexation of county land/population. Source: Richmond Commonwealths Attorneys Office, Is Richmond a safer place now than it was in the 1990s? Old murder files show some surprises, like the 1946 murder trial of white Richmond officer Edward Dooley for fatally shooting suspected gambler Walter Willis "as the Negro fled after striking the officer with a blackjack," according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch report at the time. Really good job John. At the outset of the trial, U.S. Attorney Richard Cullen said it was the first such case in the country under the 3-year-old law involving multiple defendants who faced the death penalty if convicted. Robberies of individuals are also down 2 percent. Now, I own a house in Montrose. This was later revised to 32. They occurred in homes, alleys, outside of pubs and pool halls. I was actually warned by the police to be careful because these guys monitor the police channel and know who is calling the police! (I dont think anyone would be surprised to see a body drop on Venable Street, though). During a confession Hugh Joseph Brown gave to police Aug. 13, 1992, he said the last thing his pregnant girlfriend said before he shot her at least six times and then set her body afire was that she loved him. The decline since then has been steady and amazing, dropping down to 32 in 2008, and then spiking up more recently to 61 last year, with perhaps even a larger number this year. Last year the body count in the East End was 1/3 of what it was in 2004. Reed Williams. In neighborhoods such as Oregon Hill, Scotts Addition and Church Hill, people are out and about, comfortable, she says. I have a few ideas. Columbine happened in 1999. Surprising to me, the relation between the number of homicides and the number of assaults doesnt show as much of a relation as I wouldve expected. Federal authorities accused the gang members of 11 murders during a 45-day span in January and February of 1992. The longest period with no homicides runs from Thursday, July 24, 2008, to Friday, September 26, 2008 a span of 64 days. Three years after Caroline Cookes murder, Richmond police detective Jan McTernan found the killer through a fingerprint on a car of spray starch inside found inside Mrs. Cookes home in the citys sedate Museum District. I lived in it, through it and because of Gods grace made it. A real reporter would have editors and plenty of guidance and help. ''I just got upset and I reacted.''. But once houses were being renovated things turned around. I then went to Franklin elementary to Elkhart Middle then to George Wythe High. And this story is proof. The increasing ratio number shows a yearly count of assaults that is falling much more slowly than the number of homicides. Subscribe It would be interesting, and I think more informative. Here is something to ponder: compare a 1-mile area where 20 people live and one of those people was a serial killer who murdered 15 people over 15 years to a 1-mile area where 200 people live and 5 of those people killed 1 person each and were put in jail that same year. * North vs Robb vs Coleman for Senate Susan Hellams, a neurosurgeon, had QUESINBERRY Jr. Monte Ralph ''He said no, he had never had sex with her.''. When she died, Thomas had just graduated from high school. I moved here to Church Hill in 1992. Ive pulled in Tabers table & graph: I find this data hard to believe. I think things are much better than they used to be. I am assuming the date is the date of her death? I love being a Richmonder. Brown's 16-page confession, taped the morning after the Aug. 12 slaying, was summarized for the record Thursday in York Circuit Court after he pleaded guilty to Thomas' murder. All Right Reserved. I rented a house in Union Hill in 1997, and moved back in 2004 when my husband and I bought our house here. To boot, weve solved 74 percent or 14 of 19 casesof homicides in 2010. Nothing seems to abate the obvious drug dealing going on at that stretch. http://transitionalneighborhoodlowdown.wordpress.com/2011/02/17/is-richmond-1-in-homicides/. April 12, 1985: 1: Virginia, USA : Thomas H. Despite this overall trend, Richmond, Virginia. The city was all-but killed by the skyrocketing Thats well above the clearance rate for many cities our size. I really would like to know more info on the murder of Harold David Robertson Jr. a lot of folks were disappointed in me when they found out about my gang affiliations. Hugh Brown had told his girlfriend that they were going to run off together and get married, Brown said in his confession. ''He was very angry. According to a prison source and Moniques mom, she has spent most of the past two decades in seclusion in prison. But it appears no one thinks 40 years in solitary confinement is going to help or reform one of the most disturbed young women this city has ever seen. Everyone wore shower caps (whenever they were shown on the news, they always had on shower caps) and we turned off all the lights to make sure there was enough electricity for the deed. Monique was given 55 years. The sheer number of killings on Southside in 1994 is shocking. 2005 and 2007 are a clear example of this. Came here in 80, left for five years and decided to move back and raise our daughter here. If anyone reading this has a compelling interest and a happy checkbook, please contact me. WebBriley and his brothers were linked to about a dozen murders in the Richmond area. Last year (2009), with 39 killings, saw no homicides in November the first month since at least 1980 with no killings. I was around in the 90s and remember many of these murders. He showed me his technique for making proper stirred fried rice something I remember to this day. But these spikes - along with a steady drain of human life - have long been a part of living in a killing city, historic homicide reports and records show. The reason why we have questions of mayoral power now are directly related to that. What is the basis of YOUR comparison?? She had been sexually assaulted with a broomstick so violently, she suffered internal damage to some of her organs. This year of murder brought Richmond a real boogie man. I with we could find the person that killed her and honestly wouldnt be surprised if they are not on your list after her murder. WebFebruary 17, 1993 Three drug dealers responsible for Richmond's worst murder rampage were sentenced to death by a federal jury yesterday, the first time the federal death In addition to the homicides in the city, there was an The two families agreed to have experts compare blood samples from Thomas' baby and Hugh Brown after the baby was born, Esther Brown said. And how do we keep that from ever happening again, in your opinion? No, the Fulton Hill Hustlers were not Crips or Bloods, but I think they left at least 10 bodies in their wake. Richmonds population hit a low of 197,790 in 2000 before starting to rise in 2010. Who was Carrie Davis, who was killed on Harrison Street? I left Richmond in 1999. http://t.co/klfqBMoNxl. Until 2008, 1981 had seen the fewest killings in Richmond since 1971 (with a count of 51). The Briley brothers were a gang of drug dealers who permiated the Church Hill area and were responsible for murders, robberies, assualts and stealing in general. A usual police response to a call back then was , what do you expect when you live up here? There were incidents those months, but either the charges were withdrawn when declared to be self-defense, or the charge was listed as involuntary manslaughter. Right now Richmond as a city is at the longest stretch without a killing in at least 30 years! WebRichmond homicide totals since 1957 breaking Richmond homicide totals since 1957 Oct 14, 2016 0 Richmond homicide totals since 1957, compiled from data from Richmond We have many ''She told me she loved me, and uh, that was it,'' Brown told police when he confessed to murdering Gwendolyn C. Thomas, 17, of Richmond. A man was arrested for the killing of Ms.Ross, and he was later connected to the death of Ms.Davis. The search for Goins and Richmond made an appearance on Americas Most Wanted and a $15,000 reward was offered for his arrest. 3. Im not sure how to really parse this. Thomas' family members said they were disappointed that Brown pleaded guilty, thus avoiding the spectacle of a jury trial. Unquestionably things have improved, but murders in Shockoe Bottom, shootings and stabbings in the projects and the recent line of fire killing on Belvidere only comfirm in many peoples minds (mine included, that Richmond is not a safe (enough) place to visit or live, especially at night. Then he shot her, turned her body over, shot her at least five more times, and set her body afire. We saw a couple of evictions and then the house condemned. I certainly did not have any idea of how dangerous the area was wow. It would be interesting to compare the street crime to the white collar crime going on at the time- Joel Harris-style corruption for example. I, for one, am glad those days are gone. i know people that killed and were killed. I spoke to Moniques mom recently, and she told me of all the treatment her daughter got, all the warning signs. An article in todays Richmond Times-Dispatch reports event lower numbers for 2008 and 2009 than I was given (36 and 41): Richmond reported 39 homicides for all of 2009, which was higher than 2008s 32 slayings but still low when viewed historically. He also unsuccessfully challenged the legitimacy of the search of Brown's home, where police found the gun used to kill Thomas and an empty box for 9mm shells. RICHMOND, Va. -- An investigation is underway after a man's body was found in the woods line at Pine Camp on Richmond's North Side Saturday afternoon. Claude Frizzel But one day in 20 more years, for sure Monique will have served her time and will get out. I dont think that it is under-reporting, per se, so much as just limited media and a sort of geographic bias. The Richmond VA murder/homicide rate for After Thomas died, family members gave police a diary she had kept during her relationship with Hugh Brown. There were more murders that April than in the first 6 months of 2010. Thats when I remember her. The alert detailed two recent murders on Richmonds affluent Southside. It certainly feels safer than it did 13 years ago. But standing out amidst this bloodbath was an alarming number of older women, living alone, murdered in their homes. White homicides often got more in-depth treatment in the news than the usual few paragraphs for black victims. While these murder are very tragic, it is street crime. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Even had a bullet shot through our living room window but never found the slug. ''The guilty plea was an easy thing for him,'' said Christine Claiborne, a family friend of Thomas'. WebRICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ A 21-year-old man who authorities say wiped out his girlfriends family because he was enraged she had become pregnant was convicted Tuesday of five Increase in firearms blamed by police.". Almost every rib was not only broken, but shattered. I think it was a big blow to him.''. Quite a few died. Wake up america. I never did or sold drugs, never got involved in any crimes and didnt associate with anyone who did. Just because you see people coming in with gunshot/stab wounds doesnt mean it isnt less than it has been in the past. I cant locate it now, but murders in Richmond exceeded all the surrounding counties combined. http://wtvr.com/2012/05/24/holmberg-25-years-after-the-deadliest-invasion-since-the-civil-war/. A child psychiatrist testified that, starting at an early age, Monique was violent to small animals, including cutting off the ears of a kitten, killing a litter of puppies, throwing a puppy off a porch resulting in a broken leg, and placing puppies on a hot stove. Thanks as usual for great reporting. Joseph Brown, who also was in court, declined comment. The Briley Brothers crime spree was 1979. THOMAS, Richard In his confession, Brown said Thomas had been telling people he had made her pregnant. Were getting beyond what I know & Ill leave it at this: Way less people are being killed in Richmond than ever before. Privacy / Use / Copyright / Disclaimer. Local news for the East End of Richmond, Virginia from Union Hill to Fulton, St. Johns to Fairfield. This is where the community blogs (and the police department) make a difference in getting information out to areas. His first two sentences cast doubt on the veracity of the homicide numbers, thats what Im responding to. Our aggravated assaults which comprise shootings, stabbings and an assault where the skin is brokenare down 7 percent. She had been strangled with a ligature and ratchet-type device. WebNo one was killed in Richmond in June 2010. They believed it was a man. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Antonio As Harry Kollatz Jr. noted in his March 1993 feature article Murder in the City, Richmonds homicides climbed as the population dropped from a high of 249,521 in 1971 down to 203,056 in 1990. If youre interested in seeing what isnt always reported, the RPD puts out a daily report in Noteworthy Incidents that includes a number of non-fatal stabbings/shootings that dont get a mention on tv, the newspaper, or even here (though I do get it on the CHPN twitter). There's no question Richmond is seeing a vicious spike in homicides during the past year and a half. Learn how your comment data is processed. Great research, and great job, John. Im also going to spare you the sad stories of my association with the streets, funerals, after-hours spot and the main culprits crack cocaine and Sothern Gun World. The prosecution asserted the gang sold huge quantities of crack in one Richmond neighborhood. WebStories on Richmond murder made both Americas Most Wanted and got notice in December 5 piece in USA Today. Well-done!! This was surprising to me at initially, that someone being shot or stabbed wouldnt be newsworthy. Police justify fat budgets to fight such wars but is that worth the destruction it causes? Ive been in my house 13 years and God-willing Ill be here for many more. WebRichmond had 52 murders in 1968 and 89 in 1972, when the city's population was 243,000 after the big annexation of South Side. Things got so bad that the U.S. He was taken to a Medical College of Virginia hospital where he died, police said. From the March 1993 issue of Richmond Surroundings. The Untold Story of the Harvey Family Murders Richmond, VA -- ( ReleaseWire) -- 11/17/2010 -- Cold Blooded, a chilling and shocking new book just released by Bookstand Publishing, tells the true story of the Richmond family that unwittingly harbored the infamous Harvey family murderers for six days in 2006. 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