Bio

Daniel Rakowitz was born in 1960 in Rockport, Texas. He showed early signs of mental illness and received psychiatric care and medication as a child. As a pre-teen, he began to struggle with his mental health, which affected his life and interactions with others.

In the early 1980s, Rakowitz moved to New York City, where he settled in the East Village around 1985. He began to establish a reputation there. He was known for his unusual behavior, like walking around the neighborhood with a live chicken and selling marijuana, which he proudly referred to as his "sacrament."

During his time in New York, Rakowitz faced challenges. He struggled with substance abuse and became involved with drug dealing. He also associated with a group of people who engaged in alternative lifestyles and beliefs, which included elements of Satanism.

In 1989, Rakowitz was living with his girlfriend, Monika Beerle, who was a 26-year-old Swiss dancer studying at the Martha Graham School of Dance. Monika had moved in with Rakowitz out of necessity, as she needed an apartment. Their relationship was short-lived, lasting only a few weeks.

Rakowitz's life took a dramatic turn in August 1989. He was reported to have a history of violent behavior. His girlfriend's struggles with drug use created tension in their living situation. Despite this, the details of their relationship and the events leading to the tragedy that would follow are not well-documented.

Daniel Rakowitz was found not guilty by reason of insanity in February 1991. Following his trial, he was committed to a state hospital for the criminally insane. Since then, he has remained in mental health facilities, receiving treatment for his long-standing mental health issues.

Murder Story

On August 19, 1989, Daniel Rakowitz killed his girlfriend, Monika Beerle. He struck her in the throat, which led to her death. Afterward, he took her body to their apartment in New York's Lower East Side. In a shocking act, he dismembered her and boiled her remains in the kitchen.

For several weeks, Rakowitz kept parts of her body in their apartment. He stored her skull and bones in a plastic bucket, which he later placed in a locker at the Port Authority bus station. Rumors about the murder began to circulate in the neighborhood. Rakowitz bragged to friends and acquaintances about what he had done, claiming that he had cooked Beerle's head and made soup from her brain.

During this time, Rakowitz was seen walking around Tompkins Square Park, where he claimed to have served soup to homeless people. Some locals later recounted that this soup may have contained human remains. His behavior became increasingly erratic, and he made bizarre statements about cannibalism and a new religion he had created related to marijuana.

As the police investigated these rumors, they questioned Rakowitz. During the interrogation, he gave a confusing confession that involved talk of Satanism and animal sacrifice. He was arrested shortly after the rumors gained traction.

A Manhattan jury found him not guilty by reason of insanity on February 22, 1991. He was then committed to a state hospital for the criminally insane. Over the years, Rakowitz has undergone several evaluations to determine his mental state, with professionals stating that he still needed treatment due to his severe character pathology. Despite his violent past, evaluations have suggested he is no longer considered dangerous.