http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/05/nyregion/05murder.html?hp

The victim: John Colman.

Not much is known about him, much less about his murder. His body was hastily buried and has never been found. A weapon was recovered, but it vanished. The only account of the crime is second-hand, pieced together from a few witnesses, some of whom might have harbored a grudge. The chief suspects were singled out because of racial profiling but were never questioned. No one was ever prosecuted.

It was on Sept. 6, 1609- 400 years ago Sunday- when this, the first known and recorded murder in what became metropolitan New York, was committed. Colman was killed only four days after the first Dutch and English sailors had arrived.

[This message was edited by Barrett Shipp on 09-04-09 at .]