Introducing: Rorschach: Murder at City Hall

Happy Face

iHeartPodcasts

Society & Culture, True Crime

4.2 • 8.8K Ratings

🗓️ 28 March 2026

⏱️ 3 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

A shocking public shooting at New York City Hall leaves the ambitious, charismatic City Councilman James E. Davis dead, before his assailant is gunned down by a New York City cop. It turns out that Davis had been murdered by his political rival, Niel Askew. And yet all that summer, the two men had been seen around Brooklyn together, been together in James’ office, sat side by side at a barbershop. Despite the shock waves this murder sent through New York City in the summer of 2003, the story is now forgotten, along with the mystery of what really happened between these men. RORSCHACH: MURDER AT CITY HALL recounts their final fateful day through eye-witness accounts, and then traces the path that led James Davis and his killer Niel Askew to their deaths.

Listen here and subscribe to Rorschach: Murder at City Hall on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	10, 10 shots fired in City Hall building.
0:08.8	A silver 40 caliber handgun was recovered at the scene.
0:13.6	From I-Heart podcasts and Best Case Studios.
0:16.8	This is Worshack, murder at City Hall.
0:19.5	How could this have happened in City Hall?
0:21.0	Somebody tell me that.
0:22.4	Was it a coincidence?
0:24.1	Jeffrey, who did it?
0:24.8	There were times when I thought that he was unstable,
0:31.8	and there were times when I thought maybe he shouldn't carry a gun.
0:37.7	July 2003,
0:39.8	Councilman James E. Davis arrives at New York City Hall.
0:43.2	We walked through the metal detector.
0:45.1	I said, how you doing, Counselman Davis?
0:47.2	With him is a guest.
0:48.5	And when he introduced him to me, I coiled back.
0:51.6	I said, whoa.
0:52.6	I didn't know where he was.
0:53.7	I just got a vibe. So I said, whoa. Like James Davis, this coiled back. I said, whoa. I didn't know where he was. I just got a vibe.
0:55.0	So I said, whoa.
0:55.8	Like James Davis, this man is black.
0:58.3	He's handsome.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from iHeartPodcasts, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of iHeartPodcasts and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.