Murders

Murders have occasionally taken place at Columbia.

Lucien Carr

Lucien Carr was a Columbia student notable for being an associate of a number of beat authors, for committing an infamous murder, and for siring novelist Caleb Carr. While at Columbia, he was a roommate of Allen Ginsberg's and is credited with introducing Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and William S. Burroughs to each other.

While a student at Columbia, Carr murdered a man named David Kammerer. Carr was close friends with the man, and had known him from his youth in St. Louis (Kammerer was Carr's Scoutmaster.) Apparently, Kammerer had been making sexual advances on Carr for several years and had even followed him to New York from St. Louis.

On the morning of August 13, 1944 around 3AM, Carr and Kammerer were drinking in Riverside Park. Kammerer made advances on Carr. In self-defense, Carr stabbed Kammerer to death. He subsequently tied Kammerer's hands and feet together with shoelaces, filled his pockets with rocks, and threw his dead body in the Hudson River. He confessed what he had done to Jack Kerouac, who was in turn detained by police for being a material witness. Carr later turned himself in. He was sentenced to 20 years for the murder, but was released after 2 years.

Lynda Hong

Lynda Hong was a third year student at the law school. She was found with her throat cut in her 113th Street apartment on March 20, 1998. Edward Ko, her 23 year old former boyfriend, was arrested for the crime.

Sarah Thomas

SEAS student Sarah M. Thomas was stabbed to death in her East Campus townhouse on October 10, 1985, by an intruder who had been signed in as someone's guest.

Ruggles murder-suicide

See Ruggles murder-suicide

Minghui Yu

On April 4, 2008, stats PhD student Minghui Yu was killed by an SUV after being chased into the street by muggers. His pursuers may be charged with any crime ranging from involuntary manslaughter to felony murder.