Arizona Republic

NYC marshal beaten, set afire; woman held in death

Associated Press Aug. 23, 2001

NEW YORK - A woman enraged by a city marshal's attempt to serve her with an eviction notice beat him and set him on fire, police said Wednesday.

JoAnne Jones, 53, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder in the death of Erskine G. Bryce, 66.

An autopsy showed Bryce was alive when he was set ablaze, said Ellen Borakove, spokeswoman for the Medical Examiner's Office.

He died of blunt trauma to his head and neck and extensive burns, she said.

"Everybody has so much affection for him, for something like this to happen is unimaginable," said the victim's daughter, Carol Bryce, who is a police officer for the U.S. Postal Service.

Prosecutors obtained a videotaped confession from Jones, who was arrested late Tuesday, First Deputy Police Commissioner Joseph Dunne said.

She was taken to a hospital for chest pains shortly before she was scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday. It was not known when she was going to appear in court.

Jones has an arrest record dating to 1970 and served a one-year jail sentence in 1994 for shooting a 14-year-old boy in the groin after accusing the boy of bullying her son.

Dorothy Taitt, a neighbor, said efforts to evict Jones had been under way for some time.

"The tenant has gone two or three years without paying rent," she said.

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

Answers

Looks like she is now going to get both a free place to stay, and free food and clothing as well. Great planning on her part, huh?

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001

And free medical care for those chest pains. . .

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2001