Episode 98 - Monika Beerle
The Minds of Madness - True Crime Stories
themindsofmadness
4.4 • 6.5K Ratings
🗓️ 14 March 2021
⏱️ 62 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In 1989, 26-year-old Monika Beerle headed to New York City in hopes of fulfilling her dream of becoming a dance instructor. As she searched for affordable housing she met an eccentric pot dealer named Daniel Rakowitz who offered to share his apartment with her. She had no idea that the laid-back hippie who served food to the homeless wasn’t the pushover he appeared to be.
Listen to Episode #98 now to hear the firsthand account from someone who not only knew Daniel but recorded one of their conversations.
Music Credits:
The Minds Of Madness Theme Music – Duncan Foster
Feel The Madness - The Funkoars
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Research & Writing:
Ashton Morrow
Special Thanks:
Tony
Cheryl Lindsey - Livin' With Me MonoOnno.com
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Sources:
https://www.villagevoice.com/2020/09/18/the-untold-story-of-the-tompkins-square-murder/
http://matthewnewton.us/blog/the-butcher-of-tompkins-square-park/
https://20thcenturymurder.home.blog/2020/05/01/daniel-rakowitz-the-butcher-of-tompkins-square-park/
https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19920218&slug=1476340
https://anyflip.com/yqtr/vhib/basic
https://nypost.com/2004/07/15/grisly-map-of-murder/
https://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.com/tag/monika-beerle/
https://murderpedia.org/male.R/r/rakowitz-daniel.htm
https://www.amny.com/news/the-case-of-the-butcher-of-tompkins-square-park/
https://www.nytimes.com/1990/11/15/nyregion/the-police-disconnect-1-800-want-pot.html
https://www.mcall.com/news/mc-xpm-1992-04-17-2861615-story.html
https://law.justia.com/cases/new-york/other-courts/2005/2005-50310.html
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Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | The opinions expressed in the following episode do not necessarily reflect those of the minds |
| 0:05.0 | of Madness podcast. |
| 0:06.8 | Listener discretion is advised. |
| 0:36.8 | In 1989, 26-year-old Monica Beerley headed to New York City hoping to fulfill her dream |
| 0:47.1 | of becoming a dance instructor. |
| 0:49.7 | At the time, New York City was in a state of tension, as homeless rates soared, and people |
| 0:55.6 | fought for what little housing existed. |
| 0:58.6 | Monica thought she'd hit a stroke of good fortune when she met an eccentric but seemingly |
| 1:04.1 | well-meaning young man who offered to share his apartment with her. |
| 1:09.1 | Join me now as we take a look into one of the most gruesome cases in New York City |
| 1:14.2 | history where you'll learn how an aspiring dancer fell into the complex entanglement of |
| 1:21.0 | an impoverished city completely unaware of how disturbed her roommate truly was. |
| 1:42.2 | With all of its sights, sounds and smells, it's no wonder New York City has become a hotspot |
| 1:47.6 | for tourist and celebrities. |
| 1:50.2 | Coming to two of the world's largest stock exchanges, the city that never sleeps is also |
| 1:55.4 | known as one of the most financially powerful cities in the world, but the city full of |
| 2:00.4 | diversity and opportunity wasn't always this way. |
| 2:04.6 | In the late 80s, a rush to fill homes with higher payouts created a housing war, leaving |
| 2:10.2 | many people homeless. |
| 2:12.6 | Landlords fought over desirable tenants, forcing longtime leaseholders out of their homes |
| 2:17.4 | on technicalities, sometimes violently making stable housing difficult to find and even |
| 2:23.7 | harder to hold on to. |
... |
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