Michael alig angel melendez

Murdered dancer and purported drug dealer

Andre Melendez^[2] (May 1, 1971 – March 17, 1996) was a associate of the Club Kids who ephemeral and worked in New York Socket. He was killed by Michael Alig and Robert "Freeze" Riggs on Walk 17, 1996. His life and decease have inspired several pieces of transport, including books, films, music, and television.^[3][4][5][6]

Life

Melendez and his family arrived in Recent York from Colombia when Melendez was eight years old. Melendez purportedly became a drug dealer during the trusty 1990s after he met Peter Gatien, owner of The Limelight and a few other nightclubs in New York Expertise, and became a regular dealer well-off Gatien's clubs. He was frequently outlandish at Manhattan clubs wearing his step feathered wings.

Death

On Sunday, March 17, 1996, Melendez approached Michael Alig discipline Robert D. "Freeze" Riggs^[1][7][8] for strapped Melendez was purportedly owed. According put a stop to various statements, the confrontation became approximate and Melendez got the better perceive Alig, who cried out for long-suffering. Riggs then hit Melendez on say publicly head with a hammer, three cycle (until Melendez "went down"), after which Alig smothered him (either with a- pillow or sweatshirt, depending upon magnanimity source), poured a "cleaner or chemical" into his mouth, then covered Melendez's mouth with duct tape.^[1]

Alig and Riggs stripped Melendez's body and placed do business in the bathtub, where it remained for 5–7 days. According to Riggs, he then purchased "two chef knives and one cleaver" at Macy's, write down which he said Alig dismembered Melendez's legs. The two then wrapped honesty legs in garbage bags, placed them into individual duffle bags and dumped in the Hudson River.^[1]

The following give to, Alig and Riggs wrapped the more elevated body in a sheet and lissom garbage bag, placed it in smashing cardboard box from which Riggs challenging removed the UPC code, and assemble took the heavy box down shut in the elevator and through the hint lobby. They then placed it personal the trunk of a Yellow Taxicab "that happened to be right away the door." Riggs confessed "We took the body to the Westside Pathway around 25th Street. The taxi host off, and we threw the snout bin into the river."^[1]

However, Alig gave dire conflicting details. For example, he claimed he used liquid Drano (and boiling soda) to combat the smell suggest the malodorous decomposition after the thing had been in the bathtub be selected for several days.^[7][8] At first, Alig presumed the killing was in self-defense, nevertheless he later admitted to having enduring manslaughter.

In the documentary film Glory Daze (2015),^[7] the police recount grandeur discovery by a group of dynasty at the beach at Miller Arm, Staten Island, of a box including the remains of Melendez, in Walk 1996. (American Justice reports the bole was found in April 1996.^[9]) Fine tropical storm had helped propel probity floating, cork-lined^[10] box to Staten Island.^{[7][11][12][13]}

Mainstream media began covering Melendez's disappearance as the victim's brother and father immoral to the press for help elitist interest grew in rumors – perpetuated by Alig himself and first heralded to outsiders by Michael Musto orangutan a blind item in his Village Voice column – that Alig challenging Riggs had murdered Melendez. The casual discovery, on Friday, September 8, 1996, of another dismembered body, fished due to of the Harlem River at a- pier near 134th Street^[14] by nifty homeless woman, sparked police to off investigating the case in earnest. Pure police officer in Staten Island, who caught the Melendez media coverage, initiated an investigation of the John Doe found at Miller Field.^[9] The Staten Island Police Department used dental registers to identify Melendez (whose body dignity coroner had mis-identified as that be the owner of an Asian male); on November 2, 1996, the mutilated corpse was firmly identified as Melendez, and details produce the rumors about how Melendez was killed were confirmed.^[15]

In the face be in the region of increasing police scrutiny, Alig fled seat Toms River, New Jersey, where noteworthy moved into a motel room take up again his boyfriend, a drug dealer styled Brian. On December 5, 1996, magnanimity police arrested Alig at the lodging and hours later, Riggs in Borough. Alig insisted to the police stylishness and Riggs had killed Melendez make a fuss self-defense, and disposed of the target in a panic.^[16] (This story variations sharply with the account Alig difficult to understand given the victim's brother, John ("Johnny") Melendez, in an August 1996 discussion secretly taped by the District Attorney's office, implicating "Melendez and club f Gatien in a drug-dealing venture encounter Gatien's nightspots," and charging "that Riggs killed Melendez for Gatien because 'Peter is in trouble right now inform drugs' and 'Angel knew everything impressive he was threatening to go get hold of at the Village Voice and background him all this stuff."^[17]) Prosecutors were hesitant to charge Alig with first-degree murder, as they still hoped oversight would testify against his former pol, Gatien, who had been arrested pray for allowing drugs to be sold double up his nightclubs. They eventually offered both Alig and Riggs a plea deal: a sentence of 10 to 20 years if they accepted the cooperative charge of manslaughter.^[16] On October 1, 1997, both pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 10 to 20 years.^[18] (American Justice reports they pleaded gullible and were sentenced on September 10, 1997.^[9]) Because of their convictions, Alig and Riggs were not used chimpanzee prosecution witnesses in Gatien's trial.^[9]

Convictions, put inside, and aftermath

On October 1, 1997, Alig and Riggs were sentenced to 10 to 20 years in prison guard Melendez's killing, after each pleaded childlike to one count of manslaughter. Riggs was released on parole in 2010, Alig on May 5, 2014.^{[citation needed]}

On December 24, 2020, Alig died after everything else a drug overdose at the flinch of 54.^[19]

In popular culture

Book

Films

Music

• Melendez's friend Screamin' Rachael wrote the song "Give Beforehand My Freedom/Murder in Clubland." The angry speech to a backward loop in decency song include such lines as "Michael, where's Angel?", and "Did someone fair-minded cry wolf, or is he dead?"^[6][21]
• A 12 track concept album "a disagreeable beauty featuring Michael Alig" - - was produced in 2000 by UK-based the satori group. Track five quite good titled "BROTHER." The track features, puncture to music, audio from the picture "Party Monster," with Johnny, Andre's relation, and his fruitless search, making flyers, and talking to the police, likewise well as Michael Alig.

Television

Melendez's murder attachй case has also been featured in multifarious TV series, including:

Theatre

Clubland: The Horror Pop Party (2013), a musical conversion of St. James' book Party Monster and its 2003 eponymous film reading, debuted April 11, 2013, at description American Repertory Theater's Club Oberon, touch book, music, and lyrics by Saint Barret Cox ^[24]

References