Bio

Winston Moseley was born on March 2, 1935, in New York. Before his arrest, he lived in Queens, New York, and worked as a business machine operator. Moseley lived in South Ozone Park, Queens, and owned a home there. At the time of the Kitty Genovese murder, he was 29 years old.

After his arrest, Moseley admitted to killing three women in Queens between 1963 and 1964. Those victims were 15-year-old Barbara Kralik, 24-year-old Annie Mae Johnson, and 28-year-old Catherine “Kitty” Genovese. Later reports also stated that he admitted to other violent crimes and burglaries, although he was convicted for Genovese’s murder.

Murder Story

Winston Moseley’s first confessed victim was Barbara Kralik, a 15-year-old girl who was killed in her home in Springfield Gardens, Queens, on July 20, 1963. Moseley later admitted to the killing, but the case was complicated because another suspect, Alvin Mitchell, had already been charged. Mitchell’s case later ended without a clear conviction after Moseley repeated his confession from the witness stand.

Moseley’s second confessed victim was Annie Mae Johnson, a 24-year-old woman killed on February 29, 1964, in Jamaica, Queens. Reports state that Johnson was shot and then burned. Moseley later confessed to her murder while being questioned after his arrest.

His most widely known crime was the murder of Catherine “Kitty” Genovese. In the early morning hours of March 13, 1964, Genovese was returning home from work in Kew Gardens, Queens. She parked near her apartment building and began walking toward her home when Moseley followed and attacked her with a knife. Genovese screamed for help during the assault. A neighbor shouted at the attacker, and Moseley temporarily left, but he returned and attacked her again in a more hidden area near the building.

Moseley stabbed Genovese repeatedly, sexually assaulted her, and stole money from her before leaving. She was still alive when help reached her but died while being taken to the hospital. The case became one of the most famous murder cases in American history because of early reports claiming that many neighbors heard or saw the attack and failed to help. Later investigations found that the original “38 witnesses” version was exaggerated and that some people either misunderstood what they heard or did try to contact police.

Moseley was arrested on March 19, 1964, after a burglary-related incident. During questioning, he confessed to killing Genovese and also admitted to the murders of Barbara Kralik and Annie Mae Johnson. His trial for Genovese’s murder began in June 1964. He was convicted of first-degree murder on June 11, 1964, and sentenced to death on June 15, 1964.

On June 1, 1967, his death sentence was reduced to life imprisonment after the New York Court of Appeals ruled that he should have been allowed to present a medical-insanity argument during sentencing. He remained imprisoned after the commutation.

In March 1968, Moseley escaped while being transported for medical treatment. During the escape, he overpowered a guard, fled, held hostages, and raped a woman before being recaptured. He later received additional prison sentences for crimes committed during that escape.

Moseley remained in prison for decades and was denied parole multiple times. He died on March 28, 2016, at Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York. He was 81 years old and had spent about 52 years in prison.