Three arrested for Bailey murder
A bunch of local media outlets are reporting that three teens have been arrested for the murder of UAlbany student Richard Bailey last year in Pine Hills. The suspects are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon.
According to the TU, one of the suspects is Jamell "King" Modest. He was the subject of a gripping, sad and ominous Metroland cover story by David King back in 2007:
[Corey] Ellis met Modest about a year ago. He got a call from Modest's aunt. "She said, 'I hear you help young men.' I told her that I do," recalls Ellis. Ellis then met Modest and talked to him like he was a real person, not some street kid, a criminal, or a pariah unworthy of his attention. After that, Ellis brought Modest to a peer-mentoring program at the Arbor Hill Community Center. That is when Ellis says he realized Modest's ability to influence his peers."You gotta just pull them out one by one," says Ellis.
But Ellis realizes despite the fact that he grabs Modest off the street whenever he can, even though he is willing to go out of his way to find him and give him something to do other than hang on the street, trouble is still waiting.
"It is that one day that I am not there. That single moment. I see it when he is away hanging with his friends for a while. He changes. Then, when he is back with me, he is himself again."
...
"People have told me King is going to break my heart," says Ellis. "I told 'em to wait and see. This young man is special."
Definitely read the whole thing.
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Comments
I remember that story. It was another amazing piece by David King that made me grateful we had that kind of talent in reporting, and people who care, like Corey. Wow.
... said Mel on Sep 21, 2009 at 1:38 PM | link
Wow, that story gave me the chills. Excellent insight and very eerie.
... said Ehjay on Sep 21, 2009 at 1:43 PM | link
I also remembered that story. I remembered it as being rather melodramatic (and still think so after a second read). The teen who is "clubbed in the skull" and "convulses" and whom the reader is lead to believe has been killed turns out to just need the police to arrive and "help him to his feet."
It is completely one-sided. It treats the neighborhood violence issue more as some sort of ubiquitous fog that just rolls in out of nowhere, instead of as a real problem with societal causes, but also very often the result of individual choices and actions.
Through his interspersed quotes, Ellis comes off as more like a sideline reporter just watching it all happen. King also refers to Ellis as "once a successful New York attorney," a fact that I was unaware of and could not find any reference to in Ellis' own campaign website bio or anywhere else online. (And let's not even get started on the way over the top image of Ellis in front of the cross.)
On the whole, a pretty poor article (and I admire Corey and voted for him), but definitely something that would appeal to most liberals or anyone else who has lamented over Albany's problems, but never lifted their own finger or donated their time to do a thing about them.
... said HM on Sep 21, 2009 at 2:36 PM | link
I wasn't impressed by the article, then or now. It was cliched, maudlin and overwrought.
The bit about Corey once being a successful attorney was just a factual error. He didn't go to law school and, as far as I know, has never made that representation.
Maybe if he did have legal training, he wouldn't have been so easily taken in by this punk. It doesn't speak well for Corey that his devotion and one-on-one attention to his 'protege' has come to this ...
... said t-ten on Sep 21, 2009 at 4:10 PM | link
The primary focus of this news shoud be that three animals are now off the street (actually two, since the shooter is already in prison for a gun offense), not how Metroland foreshadowed this kids ultimate fate. We're already hearing how King is a "straight A student" at Albany High. Sure. Everyone should say a prayer for Richard Bailey and his family, not lament on the social structure that created these young monsters.
... said pinehillsguy on Sep 21, 2009 at 6:53 PM | link
This story is terribly tragic. From the Bailey family who lost a son to kids younger than he was, to these kids who were failed by far too many adults in their lives. The story by King, however flawed, makes that much clear. It breaks my heart. I hope the accused get a fair trial, and if found guilty, get the appropriate punishment. But the question remains, what can we do to change this?
... said biodiva on Sep 21, 2009 at 7:40 PM | link
The article is poison. These kids commit violence and deal drugs because the cops don't get out of their cars to shake hands? Please.
His rap video is even more disturbing. I give Corey Ellis credit for trying, but this kid needed tough love not a neighborhood playstation waystation.
... said boomer on Sep 21, 2009 at 10:27 PM | link
pinehillsguy, if we don't take a long hard look at the socioeconomic influences of events like this, you're going to be saying a lot more prayers for a lot more Richard Baileys in the forseeable future.
... said B on Sep 22, 2009 at 10:16 AM | link
I currently live in Arbor Hill and have owned lots of property all over the neighborhood in the last 5 years. Its not as bad as everyone thinks, and if people keep treating it and writing about it like it is.....folks that live in Pine Hills will still be afraid to get out of their car at the LNO.
For the most part everyone has been great in the neighborhoods, however there seems to be a large gap in ambition. Its much too easy to sit on your steps and collect DSS while smoking pot in front of your 2year old (which I am currently watching out my window), than it is to suck it up and get a crappy job to make less than DSS offers for free.
... said JVG on Sep 22, 2009 at 2:06 PM | link
Its much too easy to sit on your steps and collect DSS while smoking pot in front of your 2year old (which I am currently watching out my window), than it is to suck it up and get a crappy job to make less than a living wage.
Fixed that for you, JVG.
... said B on Sep 22, 2009 at 2:40 PM | link
@B
I can get down with that change.
... said JVG on Sep 22, 2009 at 3:14 PM | link
I'm secretly hoping that these community libraries will help slowly make everything a little more focused on neighbors and neighborhood then how it has been in the past.
There is a giant absentee landlord issue that barely gets addressed. It's a huge issue and has been for years. There was a time that I rented in the student ghetto area, along with lots of other areas around Albany. I've seen these neighborhoods get worse and worse and you can tell the owners don't care about their buildings. It's a shame, and it gives a bad name to landlords that do care and try to make their apartments better to live in.
... said Lola on Sep 22, 2009 at 3:48 PM | link
This was a horrible crime, and I agree with B- if larger social issues aren't addressed here, the problem with crime and poverty is only going to get worse.
I try to have hope that in a city full of smart people who have a passion for the community, that larger issues can be addressed.
What makes me it hard to have hope is the comments on the TU blog post about this crime, particularly the first few comments:
http://blog.timesunion.com/crime/teen-accused-of-killing-ualbany-student-is-brother-of-murder-victim/2710/
... said NC on Sep 23, 2009 at 1:01 PM | link