- The Victim -

- Imette St. Guillen -

- 1981 - 2006 † -

- DNA Links Bouncer to Slaying -
 

- Evidence will go to New York grand jury -

By Michael Levenson and Cristina Silva, Globe Staff | March 13, 2006

New York -- Hailing what he called ''a break in the case," New York Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said yesterday that DNA testing has linked blood from a bouncer, at the bar where Boston native Imette St. Guillen was last seen, with blood on the plastic ties used to bind her hands in the desolate section of Brooklyn where her body was discovered.

Kelly said the evidence would be presented to a grand jury this week, with the expectation that Darryl Littlejohn, 41, a convicted bank robber, would be charged with the murder of St. Guillen, 24, a graduate student in New York. The news elated some of St. Guillen's friends, while drawing a cautious response from her family.

''This is a very significant development," Kelly told a nationally televised news conference. ''When you talk about DNA here, we're talking about the certainty of one in a trillion, so it is a very important piece of evidence for us."

He added, ''As a result of this and other evidence, Littlejohn is the prime suspect in this case."

Yesterday, Littlejohn, who has been the focus of the investigation, was not formally charged. He was being held at Rikers Island on a parole violation.

An outside lawyer said authorities appeared to be presenting the evidence to a grand jury as a way to strengthen the case against Littlejohn, who is also being investigated in connection with several other crimes in New York, and to present their case without generating even more publicity. A grand jury can review evidence out of public view and subpoena recalcitrant witnesses to testify.

''They want to be careful and thoughtful about all this," said Frank Libby, a defense attorney and former federal prosecutor in Boston who is not connected to the case. ''They want to be sure they get to all the evidence so they can be sure they've got their man."

St. Guillen, who grew up in Mission Hill and graduated from Boston Latin School, had gone to Manhattan to learn more about the type of forensics now being used to solve her murder, as a graduate student at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

The last time St. Guillen was seen alive was February 25, around 4 a.m., when she was among the last to leave around closing time at a popular bar in SoHo called "The Falls," where Littlejohn worked as a bouncer. Seventeen hours later, police received a 911 call from a pay telephone in East New York, 14 miles from the bar.

Officers found the body wrapped in a blanket and discarded in a remote, weed-covered lot. Police said St. Guillen had been raped and strangled. A sock had been shoved down her throat, and packing tape was wrapped around her head. (more - see article)
 

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/03/13/dna_links_bouncer_to_slaying_police_say/

- Will Video-Cameras be made Mandatory for NYC Bars? -

- Murder of St. Guillen Could Lead To Changes In New York City Bars -

Mar 15, 2006

Boston: The murder of Imette St. Guillen could lead to changes throughout New York City.

A new bill called Imette's Law would require bars and nightclubs to install security cameras.

St. Guillen was last seen alive leaving "The Falls" bar in Manhattan last month.

A bouncer at the bar is the prime suspect in the case.

A grand jury is now hearing testimony that could lead to an indictment.

Bar owners in New York oppose the new bill, saying installing cameras is too expensive.
 

http://www.cbs4boston.com/local/local_story_075000544.html

Slideshow: Evidence In The St. Guillen Murder Investigation

- Surprise Witness in St. Guillen Murder! -

- Witness: Littlejohn Gave St. Guillen A Ride -

Homeless Man Describes Conversation and the Suspect's Van

Reporter: Tamsen Fadal
Mar 14, 2006


New York - This morning, police continue to piece together just what happened to Imette St. Guillen after she left the Falls bar in SoHo the night she was killed.

This morning witness testimony, evidence and DNA test results will be presented to a Brooklyn Grand Jury for a possible indictment.

Police are calling Darryl Littlejohn their prime suspect. But according to Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, there is not only a DNA link between murder victim Imette St. Guillen and the bouncer from the Falls bar. Now police are confirming that people saw the two together that night.

"There are witnesses that put the victim in the company of Mr. Littlejohn when she left the bar that evening," said Kelly.

Miguel Angel Cruz said he was in a small park across from The Falls at 3 a.m. He claims not only to have seen Littlejohn and St. Guillen, he could also hear what they were saying.

According to Cruz, "He said, ‘Come on, I'll take you home.’ It's the only thing he said."

Cruz talked to CBS 2's Scott Weinberger about what he saw outside the bar in SoHo, perhaps one of the last people to see St. Guillen alive.

"She said, 'why is he throwing me out of the bar, I did nothing wrong,'" Cruz said, referring to reports that said the 24-year-old graduate student appeared drunk and stayed until the bar's last call.

Cruz then described a van he said the bouncer used to take the grad student away.

"It was a blue van, it had stairs and a wheel in the back," said Cruz.

Littlejohn is in custody on a parole violation for working late nights at a bar. He has not been charged in connection with the murder.

Despite a prime suspect and all the evidence so far, according to the police commissioner, this case is not closed. In fact, investigators are waiting for hair and fiber test results to come back.

There are still many unanswered questions this morning, including when and where the young graduate student was killed, and if there are any other suspects.

On Sunday afternoon Kelly announced a major break in the case: DNA evidence had directly tied Littlejohn to the murder.

"Darryl Littlejohn's blood was found on little plastic ties used to bind Imette's hands and a DNA match to Littlejohn was made," Kelly said.

While prosecutors are preparing to present their evidence to a grand jury, which will likely include testimony from Cruz, commissioner Kelly said the hard work of his detectives, along with science, solved this gruesome murder.

"This is a very significant development here," Kelly said. "When you talk about DNA, you're talking about the certainty of 1 in a trillion. This is a very important piece of evidence for us."
 

(see article)

http://www.wcbstv.com/topstories/local_story_072182345.html

Comment:

Concerning the question of putting video cameras up at the entrances and exits of bars in New York City: I don't think that this will serve as a deterrent to crime. It would provide the police with more evidence in convicting criminals, but I think that more emphasis should be put on keeping criminals in prison, as well as on keeping better track of those on parole and probation. In this case, Darryl Littlejohn's parole officer had no idea what type of work he was doing - and he admitted it. Additionally, as I indicated in my previous comment on this case, law-abiding citizens have to take responsibility for themselves and those around them - we cannot expect the criminal justice system to do it. And, as a final note: do not accept a ride anywhere with a Black male stranger.

Yours Faithfully, Liberty