Murder of Kitty Genovese

Kitty Genovese
Born	Catherine Susan Genovese (1935-07-07)July 7, 1935 Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.
Died	March 13, 1964(1964-03-13) (aged 28) Kew Gardens, Queens, New York City, New York, U.S.
Cause of death	Asphyxiation from stab to lung
Resting place	Lakeview Cemetery New Canaan, Connecticut, U.S.
Occupation	Bar manager

Winston Moseley
Booking photograph (April 1, 1964)
Born	March 2, 1935 United States
Died	March 28, 2016 (aged 81) Clinton Correctional Facility, Clinton County, New York, United States
Nationality	American
Occupation	Remington Rand machine operator
Criminal charge	Murder A1 (degree-less prior to September 1, 1974, in the State of New York) Robbery (second degree) Attempted kidnapping (second degree)
Criminal penalty	Death reduced to life imprisonment plus two 15-year sentences
Conviction(s)	Murder

Coordinates: 40°42′33.98″N 73°49′48.76″W / 40.7094389°N 73.8302111°W / 40.7094389; -73.8302111

In the early hours of March 13, 1964, 28-year-old American bar manager Kitty Genovese was stabbed to death outside her apartment building in Kew Gardens, a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. 28-year-old Manhattan nativeWinston Moseley was arrested during a house burglary six days later and, while in custody, confessed to killing her. At his trial, he was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death; this sentence was later reduced to life imprisonment. Moseley died in prison on March 28, 2016, at the age of 81, having served 52 years.

Two weeks after printing a short article on the attack, The New York Times published a longer report that conveyed a scene of indifference from neighbors who failed to come to Genovese's aid, saying 37 or 38 witnesses saw or heard the attack and did not call the police. The incident prompted inquiries into what became known as the bystander effect or "Genovese syndrome". Some researchers have questioned this version of events, offering alternative explanations as to why neighbors failed to intervene and suggesting that the actual number of witnesses was far fewer than reported. In 2015, Genovese's younger brother, Bill, said that the police were indeed summoned twice but did not respond because they believed it was a domestic dispute, and blamed The New York Times for faulty reporting. Bill's 2015 film The Witness showed an interview with neighbor Sophia Farrar, who was around Kitty's age; Farrar said in the film that she ran down to the stairwell when she heard Kitty's screams and held her as she was dying.