Printable View
Sorry, gawain. May those scum rot in hell, and you have your brother, in eternal bliss. I say that, even when I'm not religious. I think that they attacked him or being gay. Those eejits... I just can't believe that these people can do such things, just because they are different. May justice be served. ~:pissed:
The scum that did this deserves to be shot. Absoloutly horrible.
Wow. I'm stunned. Nothing to say, really, except God bless you and your brother, and may He provide you strength and your brother comforting rest. I am so sorry for you Gawain. You and your brother both are certainly in my prayers.
Wow Dons Back. Well still no word on who did this. We finally got the call to come down and identify the body. Hes totally unrecognizabe and Im afraid we will have to have a closed coffin. For those who were asking there still is a death penalty in NY but I cant remember the last time it was used. It was back in the mid 70s I think. Again Id like to thank you all for your support.
Would you believe I went out to my car about two hours ago and someone had broken into it and taken 150 new DVDs out of the trunk? They say things come in threes. Im dreading whats coming next.
More coverage from the local papers:
Store owner's death a mystery
Central Islip victim, found bound and beaten, last seen with unknown male in a car
BY SAMUEL BRUCHEY
STAFF WRITER
December 30, 2005
The night before his body was found tied up and beaten to death inside his Brentwood video store, William Kern pulled up to his home in Central Islip accompanied by a man who sat silently beside him, relatives said.
The diminutive, gray-haired Kern went inside, turned on a television and checked his elaborate toy train collection, then announced he was going to Burger King, relatives said.
"He said he would be back in 20 minutes," his brother Rick, 42, said.
But Kern, 55, never returned. The following morning, on Wednesday, his body was discovered in the rear office of the video store, Suffolk police said.
"We have no idea who he was with, but we'd like to know," Rick Kern said.
Suffolk Homicide Commander Det. Lt. Jack Fitzpatrick said Kern was beaten over the head with a blunt object and that cash was taken from the store.
Kern's father, Robert, 79, said it was not unusual for his son to go out after leaving Pine Hollow Video, where he worked almost every day.
Kern, the store owner for 18 years, was single with no children, but had a wide circle of friends. Because of his poor vision, Kern relied on those friends when he drove at night, his father said.
"He trusted people," his father said. "If he met you a couple times, he considered you a friend."
It was that trusting nature that may have left Kern vulnerable, his brother Rick said.
Fitzpatrick said that Kern returned to the video store sometime after it closed at midnight.
"Why he's there, it's not clear," Fitzpatrick said.
Although they do not know where he went after leaving home, Kern's relatives say they believe he was forced back to the store, perhaps by the man seen in his car.
The alarm was deactivated about 1 a.m., relatives said. But a panic button on the keypad by the front door was not triggered. Nor was a second panic button, located in the office where Kern was found.
Kern's father said that $4,000 in rent and store receipts were missing.
Police would not detail Kern's injuries, but relatives said he had large cuts over his eyes and a bag had been pulled over his head.
Thursday morning, Kern's 1994 Honda Accord was recovered in the parking lot of a strip mall near Hilltop Drive and Commack Road in Brentwood, a mile away from the video store.
Investigators spent the afternoon questioning proprietors of nearby stores on Second Avenue. Kern's bedroom was dusted for fingerprints, then locked so no one could enter.
And inside the video store, which opened for business, customers talked about the murder, a Christmas stocking with "Bill" written in silver glitter hung behind them on the wall.
Death is natural, but hard to bear, nonetheless, for those whom you know and love.
Death by crime is much harder to bear. You will have to ask yourself again why it would be you and why did they do that.
Death by hate crime or crime of opportunity...however...is despicable.
My condolences, Gawain. That death is most undeserved.
Hopefully justice will somehow be done.
My prayers Gawain. May your brother rest in peace....
Man, exactly on Christmas season.
I am sorry Gawain. Hang on, and don't let it kill you also.
Having just come across this thread, I have to say I am really shocked.
I won't offer you my prayers Gawain as you know that would be a hollow statement, but I shall be thinking about you and your brother today. I hope the person(s) who did this are caught and face justice.
You have my deepest condolances Gawain.
Deepest, deepest condolonces Gawain.
Lets hope the cops catch the punk(s) who did this soon.
I'm appalled...and to think it happened in what's supposed to be a time of peace and happiness ~:(
My sincere condolances, Gawain.
I'm utterly shocked. Nobody deserves anything like this, and I can only imagine what you and your relatives must be going through. All I can do is offer you my condolences and hope you can support each other through this. Take care, Gawain.
My condolences. My prayers are with you.
I'm sorry for your loss Gawain, I offer my condolences.
I am shocked, that good, decent people like your brother have their lives deprived becuase of petty theft, i hope these criminals recieve penalties worse than death.
I shall pray for you and your brother.
Terrible. My thoughts are with you and your brother.
I am deeply saddened to hear about this, Gawain. Although you and I may be an ocean apart, you have my prayers and my condolences through this tragedy which you and your family are going through. I know what it's like to lose a loved one. :embarassed: May you and your family find the strength to pull through it all. And remember to enjoy the memories which you and your brother shared, and his memory will live on with you. ~:grouphug: ~:cheers:
I just felt I had to reply to this one. My deepest condolences, Gawain. No one deserves to leave this place in such a gruesome way. May he rest in peace.
Quid
My condolences Gawain, I hope they get the people who did this. May your brother rest in peace.
Oh my God. I am so sorry Gawain.
I have no words.
My condolances.
wow, so sorry for you man! i haven't yet experienced the a loss like yours, so i can't imagine.. but you have my thoughts and sympathies as well gawain.
rest in peace William Kern.
I didn't see this before. May he rest in peace, and may the bastards who killed him suffer an eternity of hell.
God bless him, and condemn his killers.
I offer my condolences and prayres, even though they are a few days late, Gawain.
Sincere condolances to you and your family Gawain .
God that sucks. Good luck.
I'm so sorry for what happened to your brother Gawain, and I hope you and your familly are doing Ok considering the circumstances.
Be comforted with the idea that justice wil be done and also with the idea that you've known your brother this long - though not quite long enough.
Hang in there Gawain.
:balloon:
My condolences. Take care.
I'm sorry to hear of your cruel loss Gawain. Take care of yourself and your family.
I am nearly speechless with a barrage of emotions, stay strong and god bless.
My condolences to you and your family. :shame:
I am terribly sorry I am so late, this is aweful even though I may not have such strong bonds with you as other members of this board, I read a lot in here.
My deepest sympathies to you and your family, I hope you have something on which you can hold yourself.
Be careful and take care.