NY - Female passenger died after being set on fire by man on subway - NYC - December 22, 2024

[Sundog]

“I hope that pink tote bags will show up in communities across the nation with people filling them with food and other essentials and taking them to their food bank and/or homeless shelters in their communities, in memory of the victim.”

What an ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL thought! You are amazingly kind!

Just searching for some way to honor this lady, this victim of such a horrendous crime.

 

[Angelcat13]

<modsnip - quoted post was removed>
Would this be a good case in which to utilize hair follicle isotope analysis in order to help identify geographical areas she may have been associated with in order to expand to / target those areas to assist in identifying her?

 

[Mellowmelly]

Following from the UK. This is one of the most horrendous cases I've heard of in a long time. More so because there appears to be no apparent motive or connection between victim and murderer. This poor women, whoever she was had a life, was someone's daughter, possibly sister or mother and did absolutely nothing to deserve this. I have been thinking of her ever since first hearing about this in the news and this most definitely is intentional murder. I hope he rots.

 

[dexgirl]

I have been thinking about this poor soul since this happened a week ago. I hope they are able to find out who she is using the subway camera footage and genetic ancestry DNA. She has been in my prayers all week.

 

[nao]

Moo...why would she be using a walker? There is no mention of physical disability....moo

 

[Mellowmelly]

Moo...why would she be using a walker? There is no mention of physical disability....moo

Maybe they know she had a disability and haven't released that information yet? Or possibly it wasn't hers and was left there by someone else? So many unanswered questions

 

[dexgirl]

In the subway pictures when she is lit on fire, the victim is seated with a walker in front of her. Later when she is standing, you can barely make out the walker on the right side of her due to the fire/smoke.

 

[I am not Sherlock H.]

In the subway pictures when she is lit on fire, the victim is seated with a walker in front of her. Later when she is standing you can barely make out the walker on the right side of her due to the fire/smoke.

That is so sad @dexgirl …. and if so and the deceased was an invalid, elderly, or disabled - wondering could additional charges or enhanced charges apply? IMO this is so heinous.

IANAL and I don’t know NY state law or federal law, but are other charges applicable? Are there elements that arise to this being a potential hate crime? Are there additional federal charges warranted? The utter depravity of the suspect and this crime. And the timing just before Christmas season. SMH. MOO

 

[dexgirl]

I am not Sherlock H. -I am not sure of the NY laws and if that would make a difference. This type of cruelty makes me question our humanity.

 

[Parsnip]

Moo...why would she be using a walker? There is no mention of physical disability....moo

@nao , I do recall some mention of a walking assistance device.

 

[Charlot123]

.

That is so sad @dexgirl …. and if so and the deceased was an invalid, elderly, or disabled - wondering could additional charges or enhanced charges apply? IMO this is so heinous.

IANAL and I don’t know NY state law or federal law, but are other charges applicable? Are there elements that arise to this being a potential hate crime? Are there additional federal charges warranted? The utter depravity of the suspect and this crime. And the timing just before Christmas season. SMH. MOO

I wonder if him being drunk and high (the fact that he self-admitted) can be an aggravating circumstance

 

[Chimera]

"...... not only as a victim who suffered a horrific murder but as a person who lived a whole life, with things and people she loved and chose to explore, had her own thoughts, her own stories and experiences to tell and for each day she breathed and woke up had a day and a future .... "

Bolded by me.
Snipped for focus.

Thank you, that was a well stated post and the part I snipped/bolded , beautifully put.
That poor woman.
Justice for this unknown soul.
Omo.

 

[Chimera]

.


I wonder if him being drunk and high (the fact that he self-admitted) can be an aggravating circumstance

Yes, I'm wondering that as well.

For my part I'd like to see footage of how he was acting before the murder .
Was he weaving and stumbling, or acting with cunning & intent ?
If he sat on that bench and watched her after he set her on fire, he appeared to be calm, cool & collected.
Just an observation.
Imo.

 

[Ray_of_hope]

Officials weighing anthropological facial reconstruction to ID woman burned in NYC subway attack: sources

Officials weighing anthropological facial reconstruction to ID woman burned in NYC subway attack: sources

“Facial recognition or approximation comes in when you’re really trying to shake the trees, because you’ve kind of hit a dead end.”

nypost.com

Why don't they have any video of her carrying her pink tote or walking with a walker?

 

[jjenny]

Why don't they have any video of her carrying her pink tote or walking with a walker?

I don't think they figured out yet at which point she got onto the train.

 

[Teignmouth 22]

I don't think they figured out yet at which point she got onto the train.

I had a quick look and I see that there are some 45 stations on the F line according to the MTA website, with numerous interchanges etc.

If this poor lady was indeed homeless, then IMO it is most likely she accessed the train directly from the street rather than from another line via an interchange.

If she had mobility issues then it’s likely she entered the station in question via step free facilities (and again directly onto an F train rather than the hassle of changing lines at an interchange).

I’m guessing the investigators’ starting point will be CCTV footage from the carriage itself. Let’s hope they are giving it the highest possible priority!

 

[Teignmouth 22]

Out of interest (and also because I am planning to visit New York next year as part of a trip to the US) I've made a list of accessible stations on the F line as of December 2024, according to the map on the MTA website, starting at the East Queens end. Out of the 55 stations on the F line, 16 are accessible:

Jamaica/179 St
Kew Gardens/Union Turnpike
Forest Hills/71 Ave
Jackson Heights/Roosevelt Ave *
21 St/Queensbridge
Roosevelt Island
Lexington Ave/61st St
47-50 Sts/Rockefeller Center
34th St/Herald Square
14 St/6th Ave
W 4 St/Washington Square
Broadway/Lafayette St
Jay St/Metro Tech
7 Avenue
Church Avenue
Coney Island/Stillwell Avenue

* Jackson Heights: the map indicates that there is a long term elevator outage here.

IMO there's a good chance this lady accessed the F train via one of these stations.

 

[shetalksinstereo]

Out of interest (and also because I am planning to visit New York next year as part of a trip to the US) I've made a list of accessible stations on the F line as of December 2024, according to the map on the MTA website, starting at the East Queens end. Out of the 55 stations on the F line, 16 are accessible:

Jamaica/179 St
Kew Gardens/Union Turnpike
Forest Hills/71 Ave
Jackson Heights/Roosevelt Ave *
21 St/Queensbridge
Roosevelt Island
Lexington Ave/61st St
47-50 Sts/Rockefeller Center
34th St/Herald Square
14 St/6th Ave
W 4 St/Washington Square
Broadway/Lafayette St
Jay St/Metro Tech
7 Avenue
Church Avenue
Coney Island/Stillwell Avenue

* Jackson Heights: the map indicates that there is a long term elevator outage here.

IMO there's a good chance this lady accessed the F train via one of these stations.

This is definitely a great list to start with! In NYC, any day could have some kind of accessibility issue tbh. My mom is in her 80s and she has great mobility but going to NYC is a different kind of pace, and sometimes she wanted to use an elevator/escalator, especially at the end of a long day and i can think of a few occasions where we skipped the elevator - especially, due to unsavory people or smell, or trash in the elevator, etc.

 

[sunflowermomma]

I can't find the clip right now - my apologies - but local PD said they are reviewing all the footage still to find the clearest photo of her face. Sounds like they do have a lot of footage that shows her but they are making sure the quality is high before publishing.

NAMUS was updated today with more clothing details, IMO she doesn't have that much stuff with her for a homeless person riding the trains.

 

[jjenny]

I can't find the clip right now - my apologies - but local PD said they are reviewing all the footage still to find the clearest photo of her face. Sounds like they do have a lot of footage that shows her but they are making sure the quality is high before publishing.

NAMUS was updated today with more clothing details, IMO she doesn't have that much stuff with her for a homeless person riding the trains.

Homeless doesn't necessarily mean living on the street. The suspect himself could be described as homeless, but he was living in a shelter.