Coda: McGhee gets 22 to life in murder of Edgar Garzon

Today at the State Supreme Court in Queens, John L. McGhee was given a sentence of 22 years to life in prison in the 2001 murder of 35 year old Edgar Garzon, closing a painful chapter for his friends and family.

Above, photos from Eddie's life including his baptism (above left); his loving family (just below); Eddie as a child standing next to his mother Leonor (above right); and with the Colombian Lesbian and Gay Association crew (several photos at the bottom) hoisting a huge coffee bag with the yellow blue and red colors of the Colombian flag and dancing up a storm down the 5th Avenue Heritage of Pride Parade dressed in the coffee cup costumes he designed for the parade [click on image to make it larger].

An online article by Duncan Osborne posted late today at Gay City News reports that Leonor Garzon, Eddie's mom, addressed McGhee with the help of a translator:

"There is a deep wound in our hearts that will never heal; as you see Mr. McGhee, you have taken us from living a good life... Today, our companions are sadness and loneliness."

McGhee, to the end, maintained his innocence:

"I did not commit this crime," he said. "By locking me away for the rest of my life and leaving the real criminal out there, that may feel good, but that's not justice."

A jury has decided otherwise.

• Full story at "Edgar Garzon's murderer sentenced to at least 22 years".

Previously:
* September 11, 2008: McGhee guilty of 2nd degree murder in killing of Edgar Garzon
* July 17, 2008: Key witness vanishes as 2nd Eddie Garzon murder trial approaches
* September 5, 2007: Last night's vigil...
* September 2, 2007: Six years since the murder of Eddie Garzon...
* July 25, 2007: Judge Declares Mistrial in Eddie Garzon murder case
* July 13, 2007: Trial Begins in the Slaying of Edgar Garzon
* February 8, 2007: Michael J. Sandy and Edgar Garzon pre-trial hearings underway
* October 18, 2006: A Pansy for Edgar Garzon
* September 5, 2006: 5th Annual Memorial Mass and Vigil in honor of Eddie Garzon
* July 7, 2006: Gay City News on Eddie Garzon
* July 1, 2006: Armando Garzon talks to El Diario La Prensa
* June 30, 2006: New York Times: Stepping off plane, man is arrested in '01 murder
* Part 1: The Attack
* Part 2: COLEGA and Eddie Garzon
* Part 3: So what is, exactly, is a 'hate crime'? (and a prayer)
* Part 4: Eddie Garzon passes on
* Part 5: The Vigil
* Part 6: A Newsday Editorial
* Part 7: A parade of angels
* Part 8: Epilogue

Breaking News: McGhee guilty of 2nd degree murder in killing of Edgar Garzon

Ladies and gentlemen, meet Eddie Garzon. I'm not sure when the 35mm picture above was taken but it looks like the New York City harbor and it must have been close to the time at which the young Colombian man decided to move to the United States to seek new opportunities.

Of course, Eddie is no longer with us. On August 15th, 2001, as he walked home from spending a night at the gay bars of Roosevelt Avenue with friends, he was viciously attacked and left for dead in the dark of night on a peaceful tree-lined block lined with medium-sized apartment buildings. Eddie, who I knew as a friend, would never regain consciousness. He remained in a coma for two weeks and a half - and passed away on September 4th, 2001.

Originally, I was going to write about the memorial mass and vigil that his family organized on Sunday evening to observe the 7th anniversary of his passing (that's Leonor and Armando Garzon, right, during the vigil).

Amazingly, more than fifty people showed up - between friends of the family and those who knew Eddie, political leaders and those who had heard of his death but never met him.

It also turned out to be a cozier affair than the memorials of years past in part because Leonor let those present stand up and tell stories about her son which she said helped her to celebrate her son's life even if she was hearing some of these stories for the first time.

Movingly, at the end of the mass, Leonor turned to her husband and thanked him publicly, for being next to her for so many years, for giving her three such beautiful children and for giving her the joy of being a mother which had sustained her through tragic of circumstances.

In the most heartbreaking moment of the night, Armando stood up and, in a broken voice, thanked those of us who were present and said he had never been able to be as strong as his wife and that sometimes the thought of losing his son was too painful to even vocalize. They embraced each other to applause and tears before we all filed out and joined them in the candlelight vigil. I have more photos of the vigil here.

On 9/11 (2008), a guilty verdict: This morning I woke up to a live broadcast of some who lost loved ones at the World Trade Center reading the names of the lost. As with Eddie's murder, it has been seven years since the attacks and - while some have moved on - I couldn't help but to catch myself becoming emotional and, for lack of a better word, glad that the memorial was being broadcast live as a raw reminder of that awful September morning.

Following Eddie's murder and the 9/11 attacks one memory that remains indelible is that the weekly gay news publication Gay City News (then called LGNY) ran a special double-cover issue: News of Eddie's murder was on one side and a photo of openly gay NYFD chaplain Mychal Judge, who died in the 9/11 attacks, was on the other.

Among all publications, the team behind LGNY/GCN have assiduously, tenaciously followed the case of Eddie's murder over the years, so it was not a surprise that GCN reporter Duncan Osbourne was the first one to e-mail me today to tell me that a jury had just declared John L. McGhee guilty of murder in the 2nd degree earlier today (just as former GCN reporter Michael Meenan - then writing for The New York Times - tipped me off to McGhee's 2006 arrest).

You see, even as the Garzon family was observing the anniversary of their son's death on Sunday, a jury was deciding whether a man was guilty of his murder for the second time (a first trial ended when the judge declared a mistrial). Today, in surprisingly quick fashion, they declared him guilty (see this and this report from Gay City News)

In my posts about Eddie I have tried to be careful not to link up 9/11 and his murder to avoid insulting any family member who mourns those who died in the Twin Towers but today I am re-posting an October 3, 2001 Newsday editorial in its entirety (it's no longer available online):

Don't Let Jackson Heights Gay Murder Be Forgotten

Seven days before thousands of New Yorkers perished at the hands of suicide hijackers, Edgar Garzon met an equally senseless fate. He died from wounds sustained in a bias attack in Jackson Heights. He had been beaten into a coma with a baseball bat or lead pipe three weeks earlier - because he was gay.

The police, who are actively pursuing leads in the case, have not forgotten about Garzon. Let's hope no one else has either, especially public officials whose duty is to remind residents that brutally attacking people because of their sexual orientation is outrageous and unacceptable.

A Colombia native, Garzon settled in Queens' largest gay community in Jackson Heights. Some residents believe that the borough, no matter how tolerant of its wide diversity, is more susceptible to this kind of bias attack than a lot of people might assume.

In fact, another bias killing horrified the gay community 11 years before, when Julio Rivera was beaten to death a block away from where Garzon was attacked in mid-August. That high-profile murder helped galvanize the community and heighten its social and political influence, culminating this year with the opening of the borough's first two gay community centers – in Corona and Woodside - and an openly gay candidate for City Council, Jimmy Van Bramer, finishing second in the multi-candidate District 25 race.

For now, there's a $15,000 reward for information leading to Garzon's killers, including $10,000 from the city. Community leaders also hope to reschedule a town-hall meeting with police officials that was originally planned for Sept. 12, a day after the World Trade Center terror attack.

Gay residents' fear and anxiety are just as real today. So it's up to law enforcement and elected officials to put their minds at ease.

That says anything I could say much better than I ever could. The crime was at risk of being forgotten in the wake of 9/11 and it certainly was thanks to efforts from his family, community leaders, political leaders and police detectives that kept Eddie's memory in their hearts that today's verdict was possible.

Related:

• September 11, 2008: Quick murder verdict in 2001 Edgar Garzon slaying in Jackson Heights (Gay City News)
  

Previously:

• July 17, 2008: Key witness vanishes as 2nd Eddie Garzon murder trial approaches
  
• September 5, 2007: Last night's vigil...
  
• September 2, 2007: Six years since the murder of Eddie Garzon...
• July 25, 2007: Judge Declares Mistrial in Eddie Garzon murder case
  
• July 13, 2007: Trial Begins in the Slaying of Edgar Garzon
  
• February 8, 2007: Michael J. Sandy and Edgar Garzon pre-trial hearings underway
  
• October 18, 2006: A Pansy for Edgar Garzon
• September 5, 2006: 5th Annual Memorial Mass and Vigil in honor of Eddie Garzon
  
• July 7, 2006: Gay City News on Eddie Garzon
  
• July 1, 2006: Armando Garzon talks to El Diario La Prensa
• June 30, 2006: New York Times: Stepping off plane, man is arrested in '01 murder
• Part 1: The Attack
• Part 2: COLEGA and Eddie Garzon
• Part 3: So what is, exactly, is a 'hate crime'? (and a prayer)
• Part 4: Eddie Garzon passes on
• Part 5: The Vigil
• Part 6: A Newsday Editorial
• Part 7: A parade of angels
• Part 8: Epilogue

Key witness vanishes as 2nd Eddie Garzon murder trial approaches

Long time readers of this blog know that during the early days I tried to write down my recollections on finding that a friend had been assaulted on the streets of Queens in August of 2001 and subsequently passed away from the injuries a few days before 9/11. 35 year old Eddie Garzon had apparently been the victim of a brutal gay bashing.

Two years ago 38 year old John L. McGhee was arrested by police as he stepped out of a plane from London. He was charged in Garzon's murder and was taken to court.

Stunningly, despite testimony from a star witness who said he had been with McGhee on the night of the attack and observed the beating, the trial ended in a mistrial (it should be said, though, that by all accounts, witness Christopher Ricalde's testimony did contain some inconsistencies).

The Queens Distric Attorney's Office promised at the time to bring McGhee back to court for a second trial.

This week I spoke to a reporter from El Diario La Prensa who is writing an article on the new trial for this Sunday's paper. She also interviewed Eddie's parents.

But even as the new trial is slated to begin next month, I was stunned today when Duncan Osborne at Gay City News alerted me to an article just posted online ("Witness Lost in Gay Murder Case"). Osborbe reports that Ricalde can't be found and will probably not testify at the new trial.

Sharon Stapel, Executive Director the New York City Anti-Violence Project, told GCN that there was no way to predict the impact of the missing witness. "Obviously, at AVP we are happy that the district attorney's office is pursuing this case with all of the resources they've put behind it," she said.

But I can't help but feel angry that the Queens District Attorney's Office has lost track of what only could be considered as their star witness.

According to GCN, "Without Ricalde on the stand, a jury will hear [McGhee's attorney]'s original cross examination read from the transcript, but jurors will not see his potentially flawed testimony."

UPDATE: McGhee guilty of 2nd degree murder in killing of Edgar Garzon (Sept. 11, 2008)

Father John Azzali has died

[NOTE: I have corrected the date of the memorial service, see below for more information] I received some sad and unexpected news today: Father John Azzali, a minister at the Sts. Sergius & Bacchus Catholic Parish in Jackson Heights, Queens died of a heart attack on Saturday, Sept. 22nd, according to an e-mail message that I received from the Queens Pride House.

I'd just seen John earlier this month at the 6th anniversary vigil in remembrance of the death my friend Eddie Garzon. At the vigil, I had a chance to briefly chat with him as we waited for Eddie's parents to show up. At the end of the vigil, Father Azzali was also gracious enough to lead those gathered in prayer and to introduce me when the Garzon family asked me to say a few words.

I must have met John when we were both on the founding board of the Queens Pride House back in mid-1990's and also were members of the Queens Lesbian and Gay Democratic Club. He later became chair of the Queens Gays and Lesbians United (Q-GLU) for which he also went to produce a series of weekly public cable television shows on issues facing the borough's gay community.

I took this photo of John on June 4th, 2006, when he was named one of the Grand Marshall at the Queens LGBT Pride Parade, a much deserved honor for a man that devoted his life to the gay community in Queens through his tireless activism and his religious ministry to the LGBT community in the borough.

To those who know a little bit about the borough's entangled and fractured LGBT political world, I will always remember John for rising above the pettiness and posturing. Despite knowing that I have not necessarily been on the good side of the Queens LGBT political forces that be, John never let this keep him from greeting me warmly every time we saw each other and of asking after my partner and about life in general. That might be a small thing but I always thought this was such a loving gesture and something that truly defined who John was to the community and to the borough. I dare say that John was one of the few people that could really get along with everyone in and bring them together.

It had been a while since I had seen John and I am glad that I got a chance to talk to him on September 4th. Sometimes these things really come out of nowhere and I can't fail but feel that we just lost someone that was incredibly important to the LGBT community in Queens.

A public memorial service in honor of John's life will be held on Friday, October 5th at 7pm at the Community Methodist Church (81-10 35th Avenue in Jackson Heights; 7 train local to 82nd Street is the best option, you can also take the R/F/V/E Trains to 74th Street/Roosevelt Avenue). A private funeral service will also take place, no details are available.

• Related: Community mourns loss of beloved Pastor Fr. John Azzali (Queens Chronicle, Oct. 4, 2007)

Last night's vigil...

From last night's vigil: Top - The parents of Edgar Garzon lead a crowd in a vigil in their son's memory; 3rd picture down - Armando Garzon, Eddie's father, lights a candle in front of a make-shift memorial; Bottom - 37th Avenue and 77th Street will be renamed :Edgar Garzon Corner" at a public ceremony later this month. Additional photos here.

I was a bit surprised by the turn out at last night's vigil in honor of Eddie Garzon considering the late notice and the fact that it happened on the Tuesday right after labor day weekend. Initially about 15 to 20 people gathered on the corner of Roosevelt Avenue and 80th Street but by the time Eddie's parents showed up some of them had already left. No matter because they were replaced by others and at the end I counted 30 to 40 people. Among them were old friends of Eddie's, a couple of political figures and some who didn't seem connected other than by having read about of the vigil somewhere else.

Whether it was because there seemed to be separate groups or because some weren't sure what was going on or because Eddie's parents did not show up until 8pm or so, everyone seemed to be aimless and at a loss of what to do.

Personally I was feeling a bit awkward for some reason, so - while I guess I could have easily stepped in and take the lead - I just wanted to take a step back this time around. So I was glad when the Garzons appeared with local District Leader Francisco Moya at their side.

Among the other community and political leaders that showed up were New York State Assemblymember Ivan Lafayette and future District Leader (and friend) Alfonso Quiroz. Marlene Forero, who used to be one of Eddie's closest friends and is now a Board Member of the Colombian Lesbian and Gay Association (COLEGA) as a straight ally, brought some of her friends (they have always been there year after year) and other COLEGA members such as Jose Cruz and Juan Carlos Sandoval (and his partner Julio) also showed up. Yoselli Castillo showed up in representation of the Dominican group GALDE.

When I spoke to Leonor Garzon yesterday morning she was a little nervous about how to lead a vigil, the potential number of people that might show up and whether someone would be able to translate for her if there were a lot of people who only spoke English. I said that I'd translate for her if need be, that she only had to worry about the crowd if more than fifty people showed up and, even then, I was sure the local police precinct would take care of it (she had already invited officers from the 115th precinct in Queens to show up).

But once the Garzons showed up, there was no need to worry as everything ran somewhat smoothly. Slowly everyone marched along the same path we took during that 1st vigil, from the Cositas Ricas restaurant, going by Friend's Tavern, turning right on 77th Street and crossing 37th Road and 37th Avenue to the place where Eddie had fallen, his skull fractured, his blood staining the sidewalk.

During the walk, Leonor asked me once again to translate once we got there and to maybe talk about my memories of Eddie. How could I have said no?

The Reverend John Azzali began by offering a prayer and asking for a minute of silence. I then spoke of the day that we marched down the 5th Avenue Heritage of Pride march with the jaw-dropping float that Eddie had designed for COLEGA, a horse with coffee sacs reading "100% Colombian coffee/100% gay Colombian," Colombian folk dancers dressed up like coffee-cups (one of the dancers was at the vigil last night as well).

Leonor then addressed those gathered around a make-shift memorial - signs and photos posted and tied up around the trunk of the tree that was closest to where Eddie had fallen, candles set on the sidewalk illuminating the images - and was at turns mournful, sad, angry and defiant.

She spoke of her son and his friends, of how the unity of the Garzon family had been shattered by Eddie's death and of coming to the United States to make sure that justice was done. Mrs. Garzon also spoke of the recent trial that ended in a hung jury verdict and of how difficult it had been to take the witness stand to talk about her son's life, of how difficult it was going to be to face a jury again come this Fall when the case was brought to court again, and of hoping that it would be the last time she would have to testify about her son to a jury, that the next time there'd be justice.

She also said that she was surprised that there were so few representatives from gay organizations. She said that she knew her son was gay, had been proud to be gay and had lived an openly gay life in the United States, and how it was hard for her to comprehend how a lot of the gay leaders in the city were not there last night. She urged the gay community to remember their own, to support their own, to make sure that justice would come in the future when it came to her son.

Finally she made special mention of those who had shown up and, in particular, Marlene Forero and those who used to know Eddie years ago; the political leaders that showed up ("for them, not all is politics," she said, "sometimes they also show they have a heart"); Father John Azzali; and the homicide unit of the New York Police Department as well as the detectives and officers at the 115th Precinct who were instrumental in capturing suspect John McGhee when all traces seemed to have expired. She specifically thanked Detective Daniel Corey who was unable to be there last night.

Armando, Eddie's stoic dad, then spoke and nearly broke my heart. He was brief but full of emotion as he told the crowd that someone had taken away half his heart by killing his son. How he didn't know whether to be grateful that Eddie was now gone and perhaps at a better place than any of us but of how much it still hurt and how much he missed his son.

I hope I did them justice in translating their words. It's difficult to translate other people's words when there is so much emotion and tragedy behind them.

I was approached by the new commander at the 115th precinct and I thanked her and the many officers that showed up last night for being there. I laughed and told her that I might have criticized the 115th precinct in the past but that they deserved the warm thank-yous that the Garzon's had given them last night.

People mulled around and signed a memorial book. When most of the people had drifted away as well as most of the security detail I found myself talking to a young police officer who arrived late and remained behind as everyone else left. He wanted to know more, saying he'd been shocked to find out a man had been attacked on that street - which he considered among Jackson Heights' safest. So I told him the story and spoke about the gay community in Queens, the gay nightlife and how I didn't necessarily feel that it was a dangerous place to be gay. "Yeah," he said, "to be perfectly truthful, as a police officer I've always thought that the gay bars are safer and seem to have a funner atmosphere than the straight bars in Queens; I always see trouble there but not at the gay bars."

A small conversation after a mournful vigil that for some reason mad me love my neighborhood even more and seemed an appropriate end to yet another year in which a few of us came together to remember Eddie.

A memorial mass is planned for this Thursday, September 6th at the Our Lady of Fatima Church at 25-56 80th Street in Jackson Heights, Queens. Also later this month, the corner of 77th Street and 37th Avenue will be renamed the "Edgar Garzon Corner" in a public ceremony. A specific date has yet to be determined.

In the meantime, Terrance has offered this perspective and reading someone else's thoughts, for some reason, finally brought the full emotions home.

Six years since the murder of Eddie Garzon...

Tuesday, September 4 will mark the sixth year since the death of Eddie Garzon.

Leonor and Armando Garzon, his parents, would like to invite readers in the New York City metropolitan area to join them on Tuesday for a vigil in his memory that will take place in Jackson Heights, Queens, beginning at 7:30pm at the corner of Roosevelt Avenue and 80th Street (Take the F/E/R/7 Trains to Roosevelt Avenue/74th St).

On Thursday, September 6th, the family will also be holding a remembrance mass at the Our Lady of Fatima Church at 25-56 80th Street in Jackson Heights, Queens.

For more information you can write to the Garzons at arleogarzon@yahoo.com or call 718 899-8035.

In related news, over at The Republic of T. blogger Terrence Heath has launched an online LGBT Hate Cimes Project and featured the tragic deaths of Eddie Garzon and Julio Rivera - both within a block though 11-years apart - in yesterday's post.

Thanks Terrance.

Previously:

• July 25, 2007: Judge Declares Mistrial in Eddie Garzon murder case
  
• July 13, 2007: Trial Begins in the Slaying of Edgar Garzon
  
• February 8, 2007: Michael J. Sandy and Edgar Garzon pre-trial hearings underway
  
• October 18, 2006: A Pansy for Edgar Garzon
• September 5, 2006: 5th Annual Memorial Mass and Vigil in honor of Eddie Garzon
  
• July 7, 2006: Gay City News on Eddie Garzon
  
• July 1, 2006: Armando Garzon talks to El Diario La Prensa
• June 30, 2006: New York Times: Stepping off plane, man is arrested in '01 murder
  
• June 29, 2006: Eddie Garzon: After five years, an arrest
  
• Part 1: The Attack
• Part 2: COLEGA and Eddie Garzon
• Part 3: So what is, exactly, is a 'hate crime'? (and a prayer)
• Part 4: Eddie Garzon passes on
• Part 5: The Vigil
• Part 6: A Newsday Editorial
• Part 7: A parade of angels
• Part 8: Epilogue

Update: Judge declares mistrial in Eddie Garzon murder case

In last week´s Gay City News , Duncan Osbourne filed a follow-up story on the proceedings in a Queens courtroom where 39 year-old John McGhee stood accused of murdering a gay Colombian man, 35 year-old Edgar Garzon, in the streets of Jackson Heights in the Fall of 2001.

Last week Christopher Ricalde, a former friend of McGhee´s, took the stand as the prosecution´s star witness and vividly described how McGhee viciously beat up Garzon, causing his head to hit the ground repeatedly, which allegedly caused the massive brain injuries that left Garzon in a coma until his death days later.

Ultimately, McGhee´s attorney, Charles D. Abercombie was aparently successful in raising questions about Ricalde´s credibility:

While Osborne says in the article that the case had gone to the jury, he tells Queerty that the presiding judge declared a mistrial yesterday after the jury became deadlocked on the charges against McGhee.

Duncan tells us, through e-mail, that the Queens District Attorney´s Office has vowed to push for a second trial which might possibly come this fall.

• From the July 26th edition of Gay City News: "Mistrial Called in Garzon Murder"
  

Previously on Blabbeando:

• July 13, 2007: Trial Begins in the Slaying of Edgar Garzon
  
• February 8, 2007: Michael J. Sandy and Edgar Garzon pre-trial hearings underway
  
• October 18, 2006: A Pansy for Edgar Garzon
• September 5, 2006: 5th Annual Memorial Mass and Vigil in honor of Eddie Garzon
  
• July 7, 2006: Gay City News on Eddie Garzon
  
• July 1, 2006: Armando Garzon talks to El Diario La Prensa
• June 30, 2006: New York Times: Stepping off plane, man is arrested in '01 murder
  
• June 29, 2006: Eddie Garzon: After five years, an arrest
  
• Part 1: The Attack
• Part 2: COLEGA and Eddie Garzon
• Part 3: So what is, exactly, is a 'hate crime'? (and a prayer)
• Part 4: Eddie Garzon passes on
• Part 5: The Vigil
• Part 6: A Newsday Editorial
• Part 7: A parade of angels
• Part 8: Epilogue

Trial begins in the slaying of Edgar Garzon

Duncan Osborne at Gay City News and Ikimulisa Livingston at the New York Post cover the opening statements in a trial to determine whether John L. McGhee killed my friend Edgar Garzon in the summer of 2001.

"I will prove to you that this defendant did this because Mr. Garzon was a gay man and he made the mistake of hitting on this defendant," said prosecutor Karen Ross representing the Queens District Attorney's office.

McGhee was arrested in June of 2006 upon returning from the UK based on a statement given by a witness who came forward a year after the attack and statements made later by people close to McGhee.

According to the Post, Defense lawyer Charles Abercrombie said McGhee is innocent and pointed out that there "is no DNA evidence, no fingerprints and no weapons connecting McGhee to the crime."

Despite attempts from Abercrombie to have the judge limit the testimony of Leonor Garzon, Edgar's mother, to simply identifying her son in a photo, Ms. Garzon gave moving testimony as she weeped on the stand. Quoting from Gay City News:

Before Leonor testified, and with the jury out of the courtroom, Abercrombie asked that she be limited to identifying Edgar from his hospital photos and she not be allowed to discuss his life or achievements.

"The character of the victim is not an issue in this case," he told Robert J. Hanophy, the judge in the case. Ross and Hanophy agreed.

Questioned by Ross, Leonor went on at length about Edgar's work as a film editor, restaurant owner, and set designer. He was "very creative," she said. She wept when asked about first seeing Edgar in the hospital.

"His face had no shape at all," Leonor said through a translator. "I kept talking to him and I was afraid to kiss him."

When Ross asked, "Did he respond to you at all?" Leonor burst into tears and said only "No, no."

While Abercrombie could have objected, given the earlier agreement with the prosecutor and the judge, interrupting a weeping mother's testimony could anger the jury. It was only when Ross paused to introduce two hospital photos of Edgar that Abercrombie got a discussion out of the jury's hearing and Leonor was dismissed from the stand.

Hanophy later told the jury that both sides had agreed that Leonor had identified Edgar.

With the jury out of the courtroom, Abercrombie asked for a mistrial or that the jury be told to ignore Leonor's testimony. Hanophy denied both motions.

Trial resumes on Monday.

Update:

• July 25, 2007: Judge declares mistrail in Edgar Garzon murder case

Previously on Blabbeando:

• February 8, 2007: Michael J. Sandy and Edgar Garzon pre-trial hearings underway
  
• October 18, 2006: A Pansy for Edgar Garzon
• September 5, 2006: 5th Annual Memorial Mass and Vigil in honor of Eddie Garzon
  
• July 7, 2006: Gay City News on Eddie Garzon
  
• July 1, 2006: Armando Garzon talks to El Diario La Prensa
• June 30, 2006: New York Times: Stepping off plane, man is arrested in '01 murder
  
• June 29, 2006: Eddie Garzon: After five years, an arrest
  
• Part 1: The Attack
• Part 2: COLEGA and Eddie Garzon
• Part 3: So what is, exactly, is a 'hate crime'? (and a prayer)
• Part 4: Eddie Garzon passes on
• Part 5: The Vigil
• Part 6: A Newsday Editorial
• Part 7: A parade of angels
• Part 8: Epilogue

Update: Michael J. Sandy and Edgar Garzon murder hearings underway

Today's Gay City News has articles on two ongoing hearings related to the local murders of two gay men.

As we have previously reported, Gay City News says that bail has been denied for one of the men accused of being involved in a hate crime against Michael J. Sandy last October in Brooklyn. The New York Times also had something to say.

Interestingly, Gay City News editor Duncan Osbourne also reports on a preliminary hearing for the accused murderer of a personal friend of mine, Eddie Garzon. I knew that the hearing was imminent but had not heard a word until now.

Among the new revelations:

• 38 year old John McGhee, the accused murderer, has a wife and son who live in London.
• A witness identified as "Ya Ya'' seems to be the lead witness and perhaps the person who was driving the car the night that Eddie was attacked. Gay City News identifies "Ya Ya" as the lead witness even though his identity has not been revealed.
• Police say that when they caught up to McGhee once he was deported from the UK last year after being denied citizenship in the UK, his first comments were "What am I looking at? Three, four, five years?"

Let's see what happens down the line. Hopefully justice will be served.

A pansy for Edgar Garzon

Ok, this blog hasn't been a barrel of laughs lately and sometimes it even seems to me as if it's become a compedium of the latest anti-gay attack against people of color in the city. And yes, I have written about Eddie Garzon at length in the past. But then you find a blog out there and it's impossible not to make a comment.

Enter UK artist Paul Harfleet and his Pansy Project. Recently, Mr. Harfleet was in New York touring the project. As you will see at the link above, the goal of the project is as follows:

Artist Paul Harfleet revisits city streets planting pansies as close as possible to where verbal homophobic abuse has been experienced. These self-seeding pansies act as a living memorial to this abuse and operate as an antidote to it, some pansies wither whilst others thrive in car park borders and windswept road verges. Each pansy's location is named after the abuse received. Click on 'locations' to see where the pansies have been planted

A surprise: Mr. Harfleet planted the above pansy in honor of my friend Eddie Garzon while in New York. Something that I found out through The Pansy Project blog.

For some reason, the sentiment is tremendously moving. Thank you, Pansy Project.

5th Annual Memorial Mass and Vigil in honor of Eddie Garzon

It was five years ago today that Eddie Garzon died from injuries suffered when he was attacked as he walked home from a night out at the Queens gay bars with friends.

Yesterday, friends and family gathered at the Elmhurst Hospital Center's chapel for a memorial mass that drew thirty to forty people that came to show support to Eddie's parents, Leonor and Armando Garzon. Among them democratic District Leader Danny Dromm and New York State Senator John Sabini, both of whom also participated in the massive vigil some of us organized five years ago to demand justice for his murder (a first arrest came earlier this summer).

After the mass, as has been the tradition during the last few years, a few us us followed Eddie's parents to the place where he was felled to lay down candles and flowers. Once there, Mrs. Garzon led the congregation in prayer. Marlene Forero, her son, some of Eddie's closest friends and members of the Colombian Lesbian and Gay Association were also there. There had been tears in the chapel but by the time we gathered on that sidewalk there were also smiles and some gentle laughter bred by familiarity and friendship born out of a tragic loss. Mrs. Garzon, who has been in Colombia taking care of other family matters, wanted to make sure that members of the LGBT community in Queens and elsewhere who have kept the memory of her son alive knew just how grateful they are for the support. Mr. Garzon, in his quieter manner and demeanor, also expressed his gratitude. Both seemed to draw strength from the crowd.

Among the things that the Garzons had prepared for the sidewalk memorial was a board with clippings reflecting their son's life and events since his murder. Glued to the board was a photo of Eddie at 16 years of age when he first came to the United States and a note typed in Spanish by his mother. The note reads:

A FRUSTRATED DREAM

Every mother builds a great illusion with each and everyone of her children, from infancy to adulthood. She dreams of creating an integral being: Physically, spiritually and intellectually worthy of belonging to a family nucleus and to a society so that, with their exemplary behavior in society and in the neighborhoods in which they develop during the different stages of life, we all can make a reality of the goals that we have set for ourselves.

This was the dream that my husband and I idealized with each of our three children. In the case of our son, Edgar, who had 35 years and led an exemplary life here in the city of New York, [the dream] was frustrated on the 15th of August of 2001 when there was a heinous attempt on his life.

From a young age, he traveled to the United States with the same dreams and goals carried by each of the millions of immigrants worldwide. As an adolescent, he had already faced the great monster called New York, a monster that not even his young mind could imagine through the storybook tales and videos that he hungrily enjoyed so much as a child. How distant from imagining it and even further from experiencing it must Edgar have been, as also were we, when a few soulless murderers evered that fantasy dream that Edgar was making a reality, with courage, effort, self-drive, sacrifice, shames and glories, throughout twenty years in New York, where he made himself and lived as a citizen.

It was a nefarious day, a cruel day never expected, a day in which horrible images and thoughts crossed our confuses minds, because it was impossible to come to accept such a cruel reality.

Whom, how and why did those - to date - anonymous assassins take his life? Why is the investigation so slow? If his family and a whole community that was affected await with anxiety for resolution and that those guilty of such an irreparable loss be captured.

We the Garzon Jimenez family and the unanimously demand for a prompt and effective response.

The note was written before this summer's arrest and, though the family knows that the trial ahead might be difficult, it is clear that it has brought a sense that some answers might come, finally, after five long years.

More photos of yesterday's vigil here.

This Monday: Memorial mass, vigil will mark 5th year anniversary since Eddie Garzon died

Armando and Leonor Garzon (left on the cover of El Diario La Prensa), parents of Eddie Garzon, will be holding a memorial mass and vigil this coming Monday in Queens on the eve of the 5th anniversary of the death of their son, who died from injuries sustained after he was attacked in the streets of Jackson Heights back in 2001.

As we recently noted, it wasn't until June of this year that a John L. McGhee was arrested upon arrival from London and charged with the murder although a trial remains to happen. Until June, there had been no leads on who might have committed such a vicious attack or on the motives. The arrest brings hope that Eddie's family and friends will be able to find some answers to questions they have had for more than five years and be able to gain a sense of closure.

The Garzon family is inviting members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community to join them at the memorial mass this Monday, September 4th, at 6pm. The memorial mass will take place at the small chapel inside the Elmhurst Hospital Center at 79-01 Broadway in Queens. To get there, you can take the E, F, V or R trains to "74th Street - Roosevelt Avenue" subway station, get out on the Broadway exit and walk 5 blocks from 74th Street to 79th Street. A vigil will follow after the memorial mass at Elmhurst Hospital to the place where Eddie was attacked on August 15, 2001. If you would like more information you are welcome to write me at blabbeando@gmail.com.

Gay City News on Eddie Garzon

from the September 6th, 2001 candlelight vigil in the wake of Eddie's death

So I've been helping out some reporters to reach out to friends and family of Eddie Garzon for the various articles that have run since the announcement of the arrest of one of the alleged assailants, five years after he was murdered.

In today's edition of Gay City News, Paul Schindler reports on the arrest of John L. McGhee and reveals that Detective Daniel Corey of the 115th Precinct in Queens (of which I have been critical in the past) actually traveled to London a while back to investigate witness accounts and leads leading to McGhee.

He says that McGhee had been "a person of interest for a while" and was known to have left New York for London "within a few months" of the attack. I hope this means they have a solid case.

In the meantime, when I was asked to write a 'perspectives' piece for the issue, I hesitated. It's one thing to write about it in your own blog, it's another to write a 1,000+ essay trying to bring another perspective to Eddie's life, beyond the criminal case and the circumstances of his murder. You can judge by yourself how well I did by going here.

The 5th year anniversary since the attack and his eventual death are coming up and some of us are considering putting together a memorial mass as well as an observance vigil. He is missed.

But, at the same time, I keep wishing that other instances of violence in our communities would also get some sort of closure, including Rashawn Brazell, Rodney Velazquez, perhaps even Jamal James up in Harlem, and others.

Armando Garzon talks to El Diario La Prensa

In today's El Diario La Prensa, Eva Sanchis interviews Armando Garzon, Eddie Garzon's dad, who is the only family member in New York at the moment (Leonor, Eddie's mom, and other members of the family are in Colombia at the moment).

As the elation I have felt regarding the arrest of someone who might have killed Eddie five years ago has faded somewhat, the reality has dawn that a trial is coming up which might turn out to be a difficult thing for the family to go through, particularly if whatever evidence there is isn't that strong. I guess we will have to wait and see.

In the Spanish-language interview Armando tells Sanchis that he hoped that the case would not be forgotten despite the passage of time and that he was surprised that John McGhee, the man arrested in his son's murder on Thursday, was living in London and not New York. "I'm not sure how I'll react when I see him; I hope that God forgives him" he says, "his punishment is in the hands of God up in heaven and, on earth, in the hands of the authorities."

As to whether he thinks this was a hate or bias crime, he tells Sanchis that there are many pending questions which he hopes the alleged murderer can answer: "I do think that I will go to court, I want to know who he is and why he did this."

Marlene Forero, who is also interviewed, tells Sanchis that she recently observed the date of Eddie's birthdate (June 6th) and is not so sure that there will be complete closure. "There are people you can never forget."

Eva Sanchis at El Diario was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award last year for a special series on the upswing in bias attacks against gay Latinos in the city, part of which is translated here.

PREVIOUS POSTS:

• Part 1: The Attack
• Part 2: COLEGA and Eddie Garzon
• Part 3: So what is, exactly, is a 'hate crime'? (and a prayer)
• Part 4: Eddie Garzon passes on
• Part 5: The Vigil
• Part 6: A Newsday Editorial
• Part 7: A parade of angels
• Part 8: Epilogue
• Eddie Garzon: After five years, an arrest (June 29, 2006)
• New York Times: Stepping off plane, man is arrested in '01 murder (June 30, 2006)
  

NY Times: Stepping off plane, man is arrested in '01 Queens murder

NY Times: Stepping Off Plane, Man Is Arrested in '01 Queens Murder

By KAREEM FAHIM

Published: June 30, 2006

Five years ago, the fatal beating of Edgar Garzon, a gay man, as he walked home from a bar in Jackson Heights sent tremors through the gay community in Queens. But the crime soon faded from public attention after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

The police said they did not forget, and on Wednesday night they arrested John L. McGhee, 38, at Kennedy International Airport, as he stepped off a plane from London. Mr. McGhee, an ex-convict, was charged with murder, manslaughter and attempted robbery, the authorities said.

The police said that Mr. McGhee fled the United States for England soon after the beating of Mr. Garzon. It is unclear when Mr. McGhee became a suspect, but in the last year detectives in New York, acting on tips, tracked him to London and began cooperating with their British counterparts, law enforcement officials said.

When Mr. McGhee applied for citizenship there — and lied on his application by not revealing his criminal history — there was an opportunity to bring him home, the officials said. Authorities in London told Mr. McGhee to leave England or face prosecution there, the officials said.

On Aug. 15, 2001, Mr. Garzon, 35, a restaurant owner, had been walking home from the Friends Tavern, a gay bar, when two men followed him in a red car, officials said. They said one of the men beat him with a blunt object and fractured his skull. Mr. Garzon went into a coma, then died on Sept. 4, 2001.

A law enforcement official said that elements of the beating, including the fact that Mr. Garzon made a comment to one of the men about wanting a date, according to a witness at the time, led to theories that it was a hate crime.

Richard A. Brown, the Queens district attorney, said yesterday that prosecutors were still investigating the murder as a "possible hate crime."

Detectives from the 115th Precinct in Jackson Heights, led by Detective Daniel Corey, led the push to find Mr. Garzon's killer, officials said yesterday. Mr. Garzon's father, Armando Garzon, 72, praised the police yesterday, saying that they had "persisted in solving the case that in the beginning lacked substantial evidence — only a video snippet of a red car," he said.

Details of Mr. McGhee's life in London were not available yesterday, except that he lived, at some point, in a house by a park in London and was unemployed at the time he left, according to officials. His history of arrests in the United States stretched back to 1987, though the details of those arrests, at least five in New York, were not immediately known.

At some point before Mr. McGhee left for London, he bragged of the killing to a friend, officials said.

Mr. Garzon's father, who splits his time now between his native country, Colombia, and New York, said his son, a restaurateur, was a "happy, carefree man who never had a single enemy." Speaking in Spanish, he spoke proudly of his son's accomplishments, and said that he and his family "have focused on persisting."

"The murder trial and its resolution will give me final peace of mind," he said.

Mick Meenan contributed reporting for this article.

Other coverage:

• AP: Man arrested 5 years after Queens attack on gay man (June 29, 2006)
• New York Daily News: Arrest in gay killing after five long years (June 30, 2006)
• Newsday: Arrest in '01 slay of gay man (June 30, 2006)
• New York Post: '01 'Gay-Bash Killer' Gets Caught at JFK (June 30, 2006)
• Gothamist.com: Five year old murder gets an arrest (June 30, 2006)