The Murder of Kitty Genovese

10 snips

Jan 19, 2026

The chilling story of Kitty Genovese unfolds, revealing the tragic events of March 13, 1964. From her vibrant life as a bartender to a shocking double attack, her tale raises disturbing questions about neighborly indifference. Delving into the myth of thirty-eight witnesses, the hosts debunk the sensational narrative and highlight the real actions of those present during the attack. With insights into the killer's chilling confessions and the media’s role in shaping public perception, the podcast balances tragedy with a critique of societal apathy.

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INSIGHT

Victim's Life Overlooked

Kitty Genovese was a vibrant, well-liked woman who chose to stay in New York for freedom and community.
Her personal life and choices mattered but were overshadowed by how the media later framed her death.

ANECDOTE

Love Discovered In Greenwich Village

Kitty met Marianne at a Greenwich Village bar and they quickly formed a loving relationship despite social risks.
They moved in together and described that time as one of the happiest years of their lives.

ANECDOTE

Attack And First Intervention

After leaving the bar at 2:30 a.m., Kitty was followed, attacked, and initially scared her attacker away when a neighbor shouted.
She then attempted to reach safety but the killer returned and inflicted fatal wounds.

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In the early hours of March 13, 1964, twenty-eight-year-old Kitty Genovese returned home from work and parked her car in a lot near her Queens apartment, completely unaware that someone was following her. As she approached the door to her apartment building, Kitty’s stalker ran up behind her and stabbed her in the back twice before being scared off by a neighbor who yelled from his window. Wounded, Kitty managed to get to the back of the building, but her attacker soon returned and brutally assaulted her. By the time an ambulance arrived an hour later, it was too late; Kitty Genovese died before she reached the hospital.

Kitty’s murder and the arrest of her killer, Winston Moseley, were quickly overshadowed by what were believed to be the facts of the attack, primarily the widely held belief that at least thirty-eight neighbors had seen the assault or heard Kitty’s cries for help and did nothing. Despite there having been no evidence to support that belief, the narrative quickly became about urban apathy, with the death of a Queens bartender merely a footnote.

The murder of Kitty Genovese is one of the most notorious violent crimes in modern American history—not because of the details or circumstances of the crime, but because of the legend and mythology that has built up around it.

References

Cook, Kevin. 2014. Kitty Genovese: The Murder, the Bystanders, the Crime that Changed America. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company.

Gallo, Marcia M. 2014. "The Parable of Kitty Genovese, the New York Times, and the Erasure of Lesbianism." Journal of the Hisotry of Sexuality 273.

Gansberg, Martin. 1964. "37 who saw murder didn't call the police." New York Times, March 27: 1.

New York Times. 1964. "Queens man seized in death of 2 women." New York Times, March 20: 21.

Pearlman, Jeff. 2004. "'64 murder lives in heart of woman's 'friend'." Chicago Tribune, March 12: 4.

Peltz, Jennifer. 2015. Kitty Genovese Killer Denied Parole in Notorious 1964 Case . November 17. Accessed January 9, 2026. https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/kitty-genovese-killer-denied-parole-notorious-1964-stabbing-new-york-city/1274332/.

Roberts, Sam. 2020. "Sophia Farrar dies at 92; belied indifference to Kitty Genovese." New York Times, September 10.

Rosenthal, Abe. 1964. "Apathy is puzzle in queens killing." New York Times, March 28: 21. —. 1964. "Study of the Sickness called apathy." New York Times, May 3: 24.

Simon, Scott. 2016. The Witness' Tells A Different Story About The Kitty Genovese Murder.

May 28. Accessed January 9, 2026. https://www.npr.org/2016/05/28/479824705/-the-witness-tells-a-different-story-about-the-kitty-genovese-murder.

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)

Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley

Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally

Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

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