The murder of Tessa Majors, robbery gone wrong
An 18-year-old Bernard College student was walking in a park near the campus when two unknown attackers attempted a robbery gone wrong. You know, casual, right?
Tessa Majors was a first year college student from Virginia, who was interested in journalism (kudos) and was in a rockin’ band.
Majors was stabbed several times, with what is still unknown, however the New York Times reported, ”A folding knife with a blade roughly four inches long was found nearby and was being tested for DNA and fingerprints, a law enforcement official said.”
There are three suspects total, two of which have been found. The two suspects, which have been arrested by local police, are 13 and 14 years old. 13 and 14 — at that age I was obsessing over Harry Potter, just saying.
One of the suspects, 13 year old Zyairr Davis, went in front of a judge on Dec. 13, and the detectives said that one of Majors’ assailants pulled a knife and stabbed her several times. The group fled and Ms. Majors staggered up a flight of stairs, out of the park and onto the street, where a campus security guard found her. She was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Davis is being charged as a juvenile delinquent in Family Court, not a criminal court because of this age. That’s good, right?
Davis told Detective Signoretti, which later the detective used the information to testify, that he watched his two friends grab the student, put her into a chokehold and remove items from her pockets. Before 7 p.m., the boy watched as his friend slashed the young woman with a knife and feathers from the stuffing of her coat came flying out.
Davis was arrested, and the 14-year-old was detained and interviewed on Dec. 13 as well. The next day, the 14-year-old boy was released based on lack of evidence, according to the New York Post.
The third suspect was allegedly supposed to surrender on Dec. 16, but fled on the way to the police station, according to an article by the New York Post.
Davis has denied the accusation that he took part in the stabbing of Majors, but admitted in taking part of the robbery. It is believed that the third suspect, whose name is unknown, was the one who stabbed Majors in the park.
On top of this, investigators are led to believe Majors was in the park that night to buy marijuana. This has caused an uproar of controversy, for the cops at the New York Police Department (NYPD). On Dec. 15, Ed Mullins, the head of the Sergeants Benevolent Association, an association within the NYPD, discussed a theory.
According to Mullins, Majors’ death could be blamed on weed and criminal justice reform. Mullins even went as far to say that one of the three boys also smoked weed and stabbed her to death, and with that it’s the “common denominator.” Ok boomer.
Bills passed throughout 2019 that decriminalized marijuana, so implying that marijuana, and Majors herself, were the cause of an 18 year old college student’s death is outrageous.
Following Mullins bold comments, Major’s family spoke out about what he said, “The remarks by Sergeants Benevolent Association president Ed Mullins we find deeply inappropriate, as they intentionally or unintentionally direct blame onto Tess, a young woman, for her own murder.”
This whole situation is messed up. This girl was living her best life and then it ended just like that. The fact that kids THAT young, 13 and 14 years old, are capable of doing something like this just blows my mind.
I don’t know if it’s just because I’m old or I’m just used to adults doing stuff like this, but this particular news story really put me in a weird place. These three boys are five years younger than me. FIVE.
Majors and I are the same age. We’re both freshman at a university and we’re both aspiring journalists. The mere fact that this type of story isn’t surprising anymore is alarming.
Richie • Jan 11, 2020 at 12:58 AM
I’m starting to get nervous, it is almost two weeks and we no mew information on the DNA edividence.
I’m praying that we get the proper justice for Tessa.
It is so disheartening to listen to some of the victim shaming that has been injected into the rhyme or reasoning what these three juveniles ended up murdering Tessa.
The bottom line is if they had not made going out on a daily basis to mug people as ordinary as tying our shoe laces, then this tragedy may never had happened.
If they did not carry knives on them when going out to rob people then they would not Uzbek been able to stab her multiple times.
If they had any regard for other human beings and other peoples possessions then this may have never taken place.
But guess what.?
Her horrible demise in that dark park on a cold winter night, as she screamed for help.
It ha nothing to do with Tessa Rane Majors.
So please stop! Trying to find the reasons why these kids murdeted her in cold blood 2 weeks before Christmas.
You already know why.
David Guenzel • Jan 10, 2020 at 11:05 PM
Someone plunged a knife into someone else multiple times, that individual and his accomplishes needs to be secured into custody and held accountable. Murder is a horrible crime, that must be addressed appropriately
The police local officials and government failed to adequately address a crisis of multiple robberies by thugs in the park and on the streets of NY. Train and deputize citizens if necessary to help keep the public safe… With all the abundant wealth in the state of NY
Why is it so difficult to make safety a priority ?
Steve Boyce • Jan 10, 2020 at 8:13 PM
Hey Autumn.
It was not legal for Majors to buy or sell weed in New York City.
Possession of less than 25 grams of marijuana, in any form, is unlawful possession of marijuana in the state of New York. It is punishable by a fine of no more than $100 as defined in Article 221 of the New York State Penal Law.
Lauren • Jan 10, 2020 at 1:47 PM
It’s Barnard. Not Bernard.
anonymous • Jan 10, 2020 at 6:11 AM
I live in the are where it happened. Everyone is running scared because if The Central Park Five wrongfully convicted. This story is horrifying that children that young are so violent. It’s frightening that that the boy accused of doing the stabbing is free on bail and that his mother stabbed someone when he was a toddler. Maybe what is the most disturbing is this insipid tension that no one is addressing. We should be having town hall talks and discussing what we could do on a community level. Kids need mentors and parents. There is a breakdown in society somewhere that needs to be identified.
John Doe • Jan 9, 2020 at 12:29 PM
Type ‘Tessa Majors’ into Google News.
How is this the only recent editorial or story on the case? Very odd.
susan d • Jan 8, 2020 at 11:55 PM
Tessa was killed in Morningside Park, adjacent to Columbia University on the east side. All through the 60s, 70s, and 80s that park was extremely dangerous. You didn’t go there during the day or night. Muggings, robberies, assaults that were especially violent. And young kids were among the perpetrators.
With Guiliani as mayor, the crime in NYC went down. But out-of-towners got a false sense of security and did not know the history of the park. Now crime is creeping back to that area. Tessa was from Virginia and may have not known the dangers. According to the NY Post and other local newspapers, she was there in the early evening buying weed. However, it’s NOT legal to buy and sell marijuana in NY. Regardless of what she was buying, going to Morningside Park alone at night was a BIG risk.
As for the boys ages, like I said, many crimes occurred in that area, often by teens. And remember, one of the boy’s mother had an assault with a knife in her past. It’s a tragedy, but I believe with more education and warnings, students will avoid that area.
steve slagle • Jan 8, 2020 at 6:19 PM
I totally agree with this commentary. The fact that marijuana is even an issue seems so off to me. Someone was murdered….stabbed by a 4-inch blade of a knife ,in cold blood. Over what? This reporting and police comments are offensive to me a new yorker and i cant imagine how much to her family. Can we have some semblance of morality here? A young woman of 18 was stabbed to death–for what reason?? Because she was in Morningside Park at sundown?!! I have two daughters whose medical doctor has his office a block from where she was found . How about some justice and some horror that this can take place….and for what reason??!!