Tag: Mark Carson

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NYC: Killer Of Mark Carson Sentenced To 40 Years To Life

Elliott Morales, convicted of the 2013 murder of Mark Carson, a 32 year old gay black man in the West Village of Manhattan, has been sentenced to 40 years to life in prison.

Morales shot Carson at point blank range in the face after spewing homophobic invectives at Mr. Carson and his companion.

From the New York Times:

“I can’t help but perceive or observe the parallel tragedy in Orlando,” the judge, A. Kirke Bartley Jr., said as he imposed the sentence in State Supreme Court in Manhattan. “That parallel is revealed in hatred, self-loathing, fear and death.”

Mr. Morales, 36, was convicted after a two-week trial during which he represented himself, assuming the dual roles of defendant and defense lawyer. Addressing Mr. Morales, Justice Bartley said that the defendant’s ability to appear in the courtroom “calm, intelligent, well-prepared, well-behaved” could not deter from the fact that he was “something worthy of a character in a Stephen King novel, in short, a monster.”

Morales defended his own case in court. At the time, he argued that the murder should not be considered a hate crime because he had had sexual encounters with transgender women in the past.

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NYC: Elliot Morales Found Guilty Of Murder As A Hate Crime In Mark Carson Shooting Death

Murder victim Mark Carson

Elliot Morales has been found guilty of second degree murder as a hate crime in the fatal shooting of openly gay Mark Carson in Greenwich Village in May 2013.

From the New York Times:

The jury of four men and eight women deliberated for two days after two weeks of emotional testimony in State Supreme Court, during which Mr. Morales represented himself and took the witness stand to declare he was not prejudiced toward gay people. Murder as a hate crime carries a minimum sentence of 20 years to life, five years more than a second-degree murder conviction.

Mr. Morales shook his head in disbelief and muttered under his breath as the jury foreman read the verdict sheet: guilty on all counts.

Several witnesses testified they saw Mr. Morales pull a silver revolver and shoot Mark Carson in the face after an argument during which he called Mr. Carson and his friend, Danny Robinson, “faggots” and “gay wrestlers.”

Mr. Morales denied that his motive had been bigotry and said he was bisexual. He claimed he acted in self-defense because he felt he was about to be attacked by Mr. Carson and Mr. Robinson. He said he raised his gun and fired after he saw Mr. Robinson pull what looked like a black pistol from his pocket. “I just reacted,” he said during his closing argument. “This was not a deliberate act.”

Morales was found guilty of all the charges filed against his: murder in the second degree as a hate crime, criminal possession of a weapon in the second and third degrees, menacing a police officer, and menacing in the second degree.

Morales, who has previously served 11 years in prison for a robbery involved three women who he tied up and beat with a lead pipe, was reportedly drunk the night of the shooting.

As he was being arrested, Morales was captured on video admitting to police that he shot Carson.

Morales, 36, represented himself in the murder trial. He now faces 20 years to life in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for April 11th.

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NYC: Transgender Woman Says Hate Crime Killer Is Not A Bigot

Elliot Morales

A man who shot and killed a gay man in Greenwich Village in 2013 while yelling anti-gay slurs, presented to the court deciding his fate a character witness who claims the two were lovers for ten years proving Morales is no bigot.

Elliot Morales, acting as his own lawyer for the hate-crime slaying of gay stranger Mark Carson, called as his first witness a former flame whom he’d met online.

The 38-year-old transsexual woman, using the pseudonym Jane Smith, testified from behind a curtain in Manhattan Supreme Court that she and Morales, 36, had a physical relationship on and off for 10 years.

“In your experience and personal knowledge, do you believe Elliot Morales is a person who hates gays?” Morales asked the pre-op transsexual, who does HIV testing in a clinic that caters to the LGBT community.

“Absolutely not,” she answered.

The woman said she met Morales after he responded to her dating profile that stated, “Transsexual woman looking for a man.”

Charged with second-degree murder as a hate crime, Morales faces 30 years to life in prison.

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Jurors See Video Confession Of 2013 Greenwich Village Hate Crime

Jurors currently deliberating the murder of a gay man in Greenwich Village in May 2013 were shown a cellphone video Thursday of homophobic killer Elliot Morales confessing to his crime after being taken into custody.

Via New York Post:

“I f–king shot him dead!” Morales shouts, cackling, as several NYPD officers restrain him face-first on the pavement.

“Diagnosis dead, doctor!” he continues, laughing to the police. “They don’t teach you that in the academy, right?”

Morales then tries to lick the pavement and lifts his head as if he’s about to slam it into the concrete, but a cop stops him.

Morales, 36, is representing himself at his murder trial in Manhattan Supreme Court for the hate-crime slaying of stranger Mark Carson in Greenwich Village on May 18, 2013.

The officer said that when he first arrived on the scene at Third Street near MacDougal Street, Morales told him, “I shot him dead. He deserved it. He was acting tough in front of his bitch.”

Morales, charged with second degree murder as a hate crime, faces life in prison if convicted. He asked for, and received, permission to represent himself in the court case.

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NYC: One year ago Mark Carson was killed for being gay

In an event that rocked New York City and the world one year ago, Mark Carson was shot in the face at point blank range in the West Village when asked if he was gay.

Thousands turned out for a vigil in his honor. The promise was made to never forget as speaker after speaker stood up and repeated: “Say his name – Mark Carson. Mark Carson. Mark Carson.”

Mark Carson’s killer was apprehended and is currently awaiting trial.

When those who are “uncomfortable” with the LGBT community ask “why do you have to be so visible?  Why do you have to shove it down my throat?”

One simple, powerful answer: Mark Carson.

(photos and slideshow by Michael Paul)

(h/t JMG)

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NYC: Mark Carson’s alleged killer bragged to cops minutes after shooting

Mark Carson's alleged killer bragged about the shooting minutes after being apprehended

Elliot Morales, the suspect in the murder of Mark Carson in New York City, bragged about the shooting to cops afterwards.

In court documents released today, Morales told cops who caught him minutes after the May 17 shooting in Greenwich Village, “Gay thought he was tough in front of his bitch, so I shot him. Diagnosis is dead, doctor.”

Morales was arraigned on charges of second degree murder as a hate crime, menacing a police officer and criminal possession of a weapon.

The murder of Carson was the end of a violent night in Greenwich Village that began with Morales threatened a restaurant worker with a gun while shouting anti-gay epithets. He then came across Carson and a friend, and shouted gay slurs at them, asking, “what are you, a gay wrestler?” Morales then allegedly followed Carson and shot him in the cheek, killing him.

Morales seemed anything but remorseful for killing Carson, according to the court documents. “He thought he was tough, and I shot him. It’s the last thing he’ll remember,” he told police.

(source)

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NYC: Mark Carson’s accused killer indicted by grand jury for murder today

Mark Carson’s accused killer was formally indicted by a grand jury of murder as a hate crime today.  His lawyer entered a plea of “not guilty” even though Morales boasted of shooting Carson after being arrested.

From the New York Daily News:

An attorney for accused killer Elliot Morales briefly appeared in Manhattan Criminal Court to get notification of the grand jury vote Thursday morning.

Morales, 33, did not appear.

The lawyer, Kevin Michael Canfield, later said Morales is not guilty of the slaying and is “devastated by the charges.”

“He didn’t murder anybody,” Canfield said, suggesting there were other factors at play.

“He was sexually abused as a child by a male authority figure which led to a lifetime of alcoholism and drug abuse,” Canfield told the Daily News, adding, “It’s a terrible tragedy.”

Morales was arrested for murder in the second degree as a hate crime and other related charges after the shocking incident on Sixth Ave. near W. Eighth St. around midnight Saturday.

“Look at you faggots, you look like gay wrestlers,” Morales allegedly told victim Mark Carson and his friend minutes before policed say he shot Mark Carson, 32, in the head.

Authorities said he callously laughed as he confessed to the random killing. His gleeful expression came as he allegedly told investigators, “I shot him in the face.”

(source)

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NYC: West Village hosts massive anti-hate crime rally

JoeMyGod reports that the NYPD has closed the streets around the LGBT Community Center in the West Village as a massive crowd prepares to step off and march in honor of murdered gay man, Mark Carson.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and DOMA plaintiff Edie Windsor were spotted at the front of the march.

All photos via JoeMyGod.

 

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NYC: Accused shooter of Mark Carson “laughed and boasted” of killing to police

photo via NYPost/Christopher Sadowski

The New York Post reports that the man accused of shooting New Yorker Mark Carson in the face at point blank range laughed and boasted about the shooting shortly after being arrested.

“Yeah, I shot him in the head,” sneered Elliot Morales, 33, while “laughing on the ground” when cops were handcuffing him for shooting Mark Carson, 32, early Saturday morning.

Morales today was held without bail on charges of second-degree murder as a hate crime, menacing and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon, court records show.

“Look at these faggots,” said Morales, who was accompanied by two friends, according to police.

“What are you, gay wrestlers?” he challenged Carson and his pal, who were wearing boots, cut-off shorts and tank tops.

Carson and his friend kept walking to avoid a confrontation, but Morales — whose pals left him before he turned violent — followed the duo and asked Carson, “Do you want to die here?”

Morales allegedly pulled out a silver Taurus .38-caliber revolver and blasted the man in the cheek. Carson died shortly after at Beth Israel Hospital.

Morales has six prior arrests, including attempted murder in 1998 and others for criminal possession of a weapon.

He’s served more than nine years in both city and state prisons.

The NY Post says Morales’ two friends have been questioned and released, and are considered “cooperative” in the ongoing investigation.

(via source)