For Immediate Release June 1, 2001 GAY & LESBIAN ANTI-VIOLENCE PROJECT QUERIES COMMUNITY FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON KILLINGS
New York - In the wake of the arrest of Richard W. Rogers for the murder and dismemberment of two gay men in the early 1990s, representatives from the NYC Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project (AVP) announced today that the organization will being requesting information about other missing gay men and Rogers himself from the area's gay and lesbian community.
Richard W. Rogers, 50, of Staten Island has been charged with the murders of Thomas Mulcahy and Anthony Marrero. On July 10, 1992, portions of the dismembered body of Mulcahy were recovered in Woodland Township, NJ, and on the Garden State Parkway, in Ocean County, NJ. On May 10, 1993, portions of Anthony Marrero's body were recovered also in Ocean County, NJ.
"It's important that we use our connection to the community and outreach networks to strike while the iron is hot in these cases," said Clarence Patton, AVP's Director of Community Organizing and Public Advocacy. "There is good reason to believe that Rogers may soon be connected with as many as four other murders similar to those of Mulcahy and Marrero. In addition to Mulcahy and Marrero, we think that there may be connections with another gay man from New York City, two from Upstate New York, one from Philadelphia, who was visiting New York at the time of his disappearance, and several others in locations along the Eastern Seaboard, Patton continued.
"The community should be aware of the significant impact they can have on these ongoing investigations," said Carl Locke, AVP's Director of Client Services. "Knowledge of Mr. Rogers' activities over the past years; his likes, dislikes, hobbies, travel destinations, friends, hangouts, are all crucial to building a strong case and timeline of events. Anyone with information should know that if they choose to call AVP, their confidentiality will absolutely be maintained," Concluded Locke.
AVP is requesting that anyone with information call either their 24-hour, bilingual hotline: 212-714-1141 or contact the Task Force at 888-422-8440 or NYPD Detective Sergeant Murnane at 718-265-7384.
The New York City Gay & Lesbian Anti-Violence Project (AVP) is the nation's largest crime-victim service agency for the lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual, and HIV-affected communities. For over twenty years, AVP has provided counseling and advocacy for thousands of victims of bias-motivated violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, HIV-related violence, and police misconduct. AVP educates the public about violence against or within our communities and works to reform public policies impacting all lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual, and HIV-affected people. |
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