June 26, 2009
Authorities: NYC Hustler Killed Over Fee for Sex
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 3 MIN.
A suspect has admitted to stabbing a murder victim in a New York case with eerie similarities to the stabbing death of ABC newsman George Weber, also in New York, last March.
As with the Weber case, the killing involved an episode of paid sexual companionship gone awry; as in the March slaying, the alleged killer reportedly used a bladed weapon and stabbed the victim multiple times, later claiming self defense and saying that the victim had been the first to pull a knife; as with the George Weber case, the killing took place in the victim's apartment; and in yet another parallel, the alleged killer left he premises with stolen property.
Weber had hired a 16-year-old heterosexual he reportedly contacted through Craigslist to tie him up as part of a sexual encounter for a fee.
But things went wrong, and Weber ended up dead, with an estimated 50 stab wounds. his body was discovered in Weber's New York apartment more than a day later. The accused killer, who confessed to the crime but said that he reacted in self-defense after Weber produced a knife and threatened him, was a young man named John Katehis, whose now-infamous show him posing with an array of bladed weapons.
In a case with striking parallels, a Queens, New York, resident was found stabbed to death days after being killed, allegedly by a man that authorities believe he may have met online.
A June 18 New York Daily News story detailed how Michael Pecora was found dead in his apartment, having suffered several stab wounds.
Police were alerted by Pecora's sister, who had tried to call him, only to have her call answered by a cab driver who said that Pecora's cell phone had been handed over by a passenger in lieu of money to pay for a ride.
The cab driver thought that the man who gave him the phone might also have been carrying a computer.
A June 25 article at YourNabe.com then reported that authorities had taken a suspect into custody.
The article said that authorities believe Pecora was killed by Alexys Fermaintt, a 30-year-old man from Massachusetts, who reportedly had been engaged by Pecora for sex and a day's companionship.
However, the encounter turned deadly, authorities say, when the two disagreed about the amount of money Pecora owed Fermaintt.
The article said that Fermaintt, who confessed to the killing, claimed self-defense, saying that Pecora had pulled a knife on him.
Fermaintt then reportedly took Pecora's phone and laptop, along with his watch.
GLBT Web site JoeMyGod.com reported on the murder and posted a 2008 YouTube video of Fermaintt, which had originally been posted under Fermaintt's user name, which JoeMyGod reported was "Rican2Crave."
JoeMyGod.com also reported that Fermaintt and two other men appear in a home-made sex video posted at Tube8.com.
In still another case in which alleged sex for hire turned into robbery and murder, the Associated Press reported that an escort in Denver, Colorado shot a client to death during an attempt to force him to open his safe.
The June 9 AP story said that Timothy Boham, known as "John," was found guilty of the murder and robbery of businessman J. P. Kelso.
According to the article, Boham, a former adult film actor, shot Kelso during a robbery attempt.
The article also noted that Boham had previously been employed by Kelso at one of the businessman's companies.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.
