Hunt for ‘killer’ in ‘Innocence Project sweatshirt’ who ‘knifed homeless man to death & hurt 2 others’ in Manhattan
THE hunt for an alleged killer linked to the stabbing death of a homeless man and an attack on two others continues in a major US city.
A man is suspected of fatally stabbing a sleeping homeless man in Manhattan, said police Monday, who believe he’s attacked two others in similar attacks.
During the fatal attack on July 5, the suspect was wearing an Innocence Project sweatshirt when he knifed the victim in the stomach as he was sleeping on a park bench.
The victim woke up and managed to get across the street for help, alerting a passerby who called police.
However, the man would eventually succumb to his injuries at Bellevue Hospital.
Police said the attacker watched the victim for about 30 minutes as he slept before putting on a mask and stabbing him.
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The suspect fled after committing the attack, cops added.
On Friday night, the suspect would attack another sleeping victim who slept on a bench in Midtown and stabbed him in the stomach.
The 59-year-old victim wasn’t seriously injured but did seek medical attention.
He would strike again on Monday around 3;30am at the Stanley Isaac Playground.
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Again, he targeted a sleeping victim, this time a 28-year-old man who was on the basketball court and woke up during the attack.
The victim chased the suspect but could not go far due to his wounds, said police.
“We are asking the public’s help and we need the public’s help before he strikes again,” said NYPD Chief of Detectives, James Essig.
The suspect’s photo is being shown to homeless individuals as officers are also urging them to head to shelters.
Investigators said that all victims were stabbed in the stomach with no words exchanged before the attacks.
Despite the suspect’s attire, police do not believe he has any association with the Innocence Project, a nonprofit committed to exonerating individuals who have been wrongfully convicted.
A spokesperson for the organization said that thousands of sweatshirts have been distributed.
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The suspect also wore bright, neon sneakers and a witness said he was carrying a large kitchen knife.
The attacks are hauntingly similar to the murder spree earlier this year when a man attacked sleeping homeless victims in NYC and Washington DC.