Posted on 01/17/2012 3:46:36 PM PST by End Times Sentinel
Rewards totaling $15,000 were posted today for information leading to the arrests and convictions of the men who beat Kevin Kless to death in the Historic District over the weekend.
After the city announced it was offering $10,000, the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5, which represents Philadelphia police officers, said today it would put up another $5,000.
Police, at the same time, offered a slightly different account of events leading up to the killing early Saturday.
In a statement, police said that after leaving an Old City bar with his girlfriend and another woman, Kless tried to flag down a cab on the 400 block of Chestnut Street.
"When the cab stopped, the [victim] became involved in a conversation with the cabdriver," the statement said.
It said during the conversation four males inside a car - "an older model maroon sedan, possibly a Mazda" - behind the cab started yelling at the victim.
"The vehicle pulled over and three of the males exited the vehicle and began beating the [victim] critically injuring him . . .".
Kless, 23, a 2010 Temple University graduate who recently returned to Philadelphia for a job, died 17 hours after the attack at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.
Previous accounts had indicated that the cab did not stop.
Instead, police had said Kless had shouted an obscenity at the cab because its roof light was on, signaling it was available, but it had passengers inside.
In their statement, police described the attackers as Hispanic men with light complexions.
The first is about 20 years old, 5-feet, 10-inches tall with a thin build. He was wearing a white shirt with blue stripes.
The second also is about 20 years of age and about 6-feet tall with a medium build. He was wearing a maroon shirt.
The third is described only as being about 6-feet, 2-inches tall.
On Monday, Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey urged the driver of the maroon car, who did not get out of the vehicle, to come forward, suggesting he might be able to wrangle a better deal for himself.
"Right now he is part of the murder case," Ramsey told the Daily News. "But if he comes forward, there is a possibility that the district attorney might work with his attorney.".
Kless, 23, a 2010 Temple University graduate who recently returned to Philadelphia for a job, died 17 hours after the attack.
Anyone with information is asked to the anonymous tip line at 215-686-8477 of the Homicide Unit at 215-686-3334.
I should give kudos to philly.com for not only coming out and saying the victims were latino, but giving so much coverage to a crime where the victim was white.
The Chief of Police essentially asking the driver of the car to turn himself in doesn't exactly inspire confidence. My guess is they pretty well know these four guys high-tailed it back to extended family in Puerto Rico. If only the victim was a homosexual there would be enough interest and outrage to follow the case to the island.
I just read this somewhere else and they said three middle eastern men. Hmmm.
I just read this somewhere else and they said three middle eastern men. Hmmm.
Yeah, sounds like this gang is gone back to Mejico and the police department doesn’t hold out much hope.
Now if it had been skinheads, would the headline read Klan Klobbers Kevin Kless ???
His problem was that he was walking around in the sewer that is Philadelphia.
He should have no expectation of seeing the next morning.
I imagine the ONLY reason this is getting aired is because it was in the historic district
Why the right to bear arms is a very good idea.
Philly murders are well over one a day now. The papers wring their hands and have no clue why. First off they abandoned scientific policing which had crime under control. Next try inneffective long time one party hack control of everything. Then there is an economy destroyed by left wing high taxes and wasteful liberal agenda.
That was the first report, "olive skinned", but they were driving around in a 2000 era Mazda, and the few arabs in the area are either Lebanese Maronites, who don't do that kind of stuff, or they drive much better cars.
I thought they sounded kind of tall for Hispanics but the description may not be accurate.
40 miles away from here and nothing in the newspaper.
I’m glad I graduated from Temple Un. when all the locals did was rob a few of us. When Rizzo became chief of police, he put some tough cops on the street and crime went down.
Ramsey was chief of police in DC. A Nice guy but he wasn’t too successful in reducing crime. At least he tries, but Phila. is a Democratic-controlled shithole and has been for decades.
The Hispanics have made it a 4th World cesspool while the blacks have tried to escape from poverty and ignorance. You live off of Broad Street at your peril.
Mmmm. I’m wondering if the guy hailed a cab, it stopped, the guy wanted to go somewhere and the cabbie didn’t want to go for whatever reason, the car with the Hispanics was stuck behind the cab and they start yelling “move it”. The victim tells them to “F” off, they get out of the car and beat him to death. I have a feeling words were exchanged before the beating started.
Where’s Bernie Goetz when you need him?
That's part of it, mainly it's because the vast majority of murders (I can't speak for all cities, but certainly in Philadelphia) are dirt-bags killing other vermin in horrible neighborhoods that no decent person would ever set foot in.
To have a murder occur in a heavily trafficked area, frequented by the civilized is pretty unusual.
one sterotype that I hate is that anyone not fully black and not fully white is somehow “latino”.....
I'm really interested to see how this shakes out.
We don't really have much a middle eastern population in the city, and those we do have are Lebanese Copts, and I know that community pretty well. They don't put up with that garbage.
I'm still thinking Puerto Rican, but it sure looks like the gendarmes either have no idea who they are, or know they left.
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