The Public Murder of Kitty Genovese
Kitty was attacked, raped and killed on a walkway overlooked by homes and businesses, her screams heard and ignored by local residents.
A Stranger in the Shadows
In the early hours of 13th March 1964, 28-year-old Kitty Genovese finished her shift as a Bar Manager at Ev’s 11th Hour in Queens, New York, and began her journey home. Kitty worked long hours at two jobs in the hopes of one day earning enough money to open an Italian restaurant.
She left the bar at around 2:30am and got into her car. Unbeknownst to Kitty, while stopped at a traffic light, she was spotted by a man driving a white Chevrolet Corvair. Unfortunately for her, the stranger decided at that moment to follow Kitty and make her the victim of a viciously fatal attack.
Kitty arrived back in her home neighbourhood at approximately 3:15am. She got out of her car and walked towards her apartment building, turning onto a dimly lit alleyway in Kew Gardens. Her armed attacker followed closely behind and grabbed her as she almost approached the safety of her home. When Kitty screamed out from the shock, he plunged a knife into her back, causing her to stumble and fall to the ground. Altered by Kitty’s cries for help, one neighbour named Robert Mozer opened his window and yelled “Leave that girl alone!” causing the attacker to flee…
