Thirty Eight Witnesses

Originally published in 1964, Thirty-Eight Witnesses by A. M. Rosenthal, who at the time was metropolitan editor of the New York Times, details the horrific stabbing of Kitty Genovese outside of her home in Queens, NY. Her neighbors --the thirty-eight witnesses--stood silently by, even after she was stabbed and stalked by her killer for over an hour. Their apathy and indifference contributed to her tragic death. The event was a watershed in crime reporting, in questioning why people act, or don't, when another is in danger, and a signpost in the changing urban landscape and how human beings act within it. A new introduction by veteran New York Times reporter Samuel Freedman examines the significance of the murder and its aftermath for the practice and ethics of journalism.Rosenthal, A. M. is the author of 'Thirty Eight Witnesses', published 2005 under ISBN 9780813342900 and ISBN 0813342902.