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Peter Braunstein (born January 26, 1964) is an American former journalist, writer and playwright who became infamous for committing an October 31, 2005, rape and leading police on a multi-state manhunt until his capture and self-injury in Memphis, Tennessee on December 16, 2005.
Dubbed the "Halloween rapist", the "fake firefighter", "fire fiend", and other names by the media, Braunstein became the most wanted man in New York City, a dubious honor often reserved for , , or . Braunstein formerly worked as a writer for Women's Wear Daily and The Village Voice, and his former colleagues avidly followed the case on .
His trial in May 2007 drew a lot of media attention. It lasted four weeks, during which the victim testimony at length about the attack, a former girlfriend testified about their relationship, and excerpts from Braunstein's journal were read into the record. Criminal defense lawyers tried to argue diminished capacity, claiming Braunstein suffered an organic brain disorder with effects similar to paranoid schizophrenia that made him and incapable of intent. The jury was not convinced and conviction him of 10 counts of kidnapping, burglary, robbery and sexual abuse, though he was acquitted on the charge of arson.Hartocollis, Anemona; May 24, 2007; " Writer Is Convicted in Sex Attack on Former Colleague"; The New York Times; retrieved May 24, 2007. He is currently serving his Life sentence at Five Points Correctional Facility; he has been eligible for parole since 2023, but remains in custody.
In 2000, he got a job at W magazine, writing mostly about the history and culture of rock music. He also for the publications mentioned above. He began dating his coworker, W beauty editor Jane Larkworthy. After breaking up with her, Braunstein started using the magazine's website as a blog to harass his ex-girlfriend, whom he referred to as "BioHazard". He was charged with 37 counts of harassment, pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to three years probation.
According to the victim, Braunstein harassed her for 18 months, taped her hands to a chair, sent frightening emails and phone messages to her coworkers and family, and posted her naked photos and personal information on an adult web site. On November 22, 2004, Braunstein cut his own chest with a knife and then claimed his ex-girlfriend attacked him. He was taken by the police to Bellevue Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation and released after two hours. Various parsings of these events had him suffering from what could be described as delusions of grandeur and paranoia.
He went back to live with his mother in Queens, which earned him the nickname "George Costanza" among his associates. In 2004, he wrote the Off-Off-Broadway play Andy & Edie about the relationship between Andy Warhol and Edie Sedgwick.
target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> off-off-Broadway reviews, listings, and more. offoffonline. Retrieved on November 13, 2010. Although it played to full houses at the relatively small Shetler Studio Theater, the piece wasn't well received by some critics. Braunstein stopped talking to his father after he made a negative comment about the play.
Braunstein also came up with a hit list of "gay men" whom he wanted to "punish".
The police released a sketch of the suspect made with the help of a witness which was identified as Braunstein by his father the next day. Several of his former coworkers also called the police after he allegedly made threatening phone calls to them following the attack. Several days later, detectives uncovered more evidence on Braunstein's personal computer, including a detailed plan that described the attack that occurred. Police have also discovered that Braunstein purchased a voice-altering device on eBay five days before the attack.
The crime quickly became a sensation in the New York area. New developments about the crime have been often featured on the front pages of tabloids like the New York Post and New York Daily News, as well as the TV show America's Most Wanted. It was revealed that the suspect had an interest in pornography and was "extremely intelligent and talented, with an IQ of 185". On the Intellect of Peter Braunstein . Gawker.com (November 8, 2005). Retrieved on November 13, 2010. This "villain" aspect of the crime only fueled the public fascination with it. Other details uncovered by the media included the fact that Braunstein was contemplating stalking supermodel Kate Moss.
He has also been followed in great detail by gossip blogs such as Gawker, with the editor Jessica Coen going as far as creating a special section to document her findings. Even Craigslist had a hand in the story, as lengthy, elaborate posts from an anonymous source speculated about his whereabouts.
He was captured on December 16, 2005, in Memphis, Tennessee, around 3:30 p.m.[4] A University of Memphis student saw him and notified police. As the police moved in, he reportedly shouted, "I am the man the world is looking for" (although other sources have reported slightly different accounts of his words). 'Fake firefighter' suspect to be charged - U.S. news - Crime & courts - nbcnews.com. NBC News (December 17, 2005). Retrieved on November 13, 2010. Braunstein then stabbed himself thirteen times in the neck yet survived the suicide attempt. After recovery from surgery, he was transferred to New York custody and on December 23, 2005, a grand jury indicted him for the Halloween attack; he was arraignment on January 5, 2006, and pleaded not guilty to charges of sexual assault, arson, kidnapping, burglary, and robbery. court TV becomes truTV . Courttv.com. Retrieved on November 13, 2010.
On Christmas Day, the New York Post reported that Braunstein had been working at Xavier High School, a prominent New York all-boys private school. His employment was mere archiving work and had no direct contact with any students. The day before the attack, he told the school he was leaving for "an extended writing assignment". The day after the attack, he returned to Xavier to cash a paycheck. English teacher and Rugby football coach Mike Tolkin said that Braunstein "kept to himself".Brad Hamilton and Heather Gilmore. "'Holy' Terror". New York Post. December 25, 2005. The day before the article was run, Xavier parents received letters from the school telling them of Braunstein's employment and explained that there was no need for any concern.
His defense tried to argue that he had a brain dysfunction that left him unable to distinguish fantasy and reality, that during the assault he had been living in the former. His lawyers put a psychologist on the stand as an expert witness, and tried to show when cross-examining Larkworthy that he was displaying similar symptoms even then. The jury convicted Braunstein of kidnapping, sexual abuse (known as sexual assault in some other jurisdictions), robbery, and several other felonies on May 23, 2007 (but acquitting him of arson since they found he had not set the fire to cause damage to the building, only as a diversion). The panel deliberated less than four hours. On June 18, 2007, Braunstein was sentenced to 18 years to life in prison. Fashion Writer Sentenced in Attack on Woman, New York Times, June 18, 2007
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