Drag Queen murdered by samurai sword wielding Ninjas!!

[Guest jeffOH]

Too freaky!! Brazon, a female impersonator and Miss Gay Ohio 1994, was attacked and killed in his home by two men dressed as Ninjas with samurai swords. His roommate suffered cuts on his hands, but managed to run to another part of the house and call 911(they played the tape on the news). One of the assailants was caught a few blocks away shortly after the attack still carrying a sword. As it turns out, it was a male stripper who had danced with Brazon in some of her performances. The other suspect hadn't been apprehended as of last night.

 

JEFF

jeff4men@hotmail.com

[mmk]

oh my gosh, that is horrible. Something like that is so tragic and senseless.

 

Jeff, where did this take place at? Was it in Ohio (I assumed it was since Brazon was Miss Ohio) Did they state a reason why this stripper did this? Did they say the strippers name (I am curious because I do know alot of male strippers that come to Pittsburgh from Ohio to dance.) I am glad that the roommate is okay but how utterly sad this is.

[Guest DCeBOY]

"devin" is the name the stripper used onstage. you can get his real name if you go to http://www.nbc4columbus.com/news/ (i'm not giving any personal info that isn't in the newspaper/on tv.)

the guy was high & just laughing when the police got to the house.

one of brazon/gary's (the dead guy) roommates was injured--fingers cut off--all but two re-attached. the other roommate was on the east coast visiting relatives at the time.

the murder took place in the clintonville area of columbus (indianola ave).

 

interesting: the house had been burglarized about two weeks beforehand.

 

of course any murder like this is unfortunate, but it is doubly sad 'cause brazon was a really sweet guy, fun, and a kick-ass performer.

[Guest DCeBOY]

forgot something... the stripper always used to use the ninja outfit in his show, or soccer pants.

[chrismac]

Oh my God - that's horrible Jeff.

 

Did you know any of these people? How senseless.

 

I hope you're OK.

[mmk]

Thanks for the message Ethan and the post. It is sad to read something like that. It does make you wonder what could drive a person to something like that. So utterly senseless.

 

Jeff, if they were friends of your your have my deepest sympathies as do the family and friends of the vicim.

[Guest jeffOH]

>Oh my God - that's horrible Jeff.

>

>Did you know any of these people? How senseless.

>

>I hope you're OK.

 

I didn't know anyone involved personally. Thanks Chris, I'm fine, but it was rather shocking. Brazon was heavily involved in the gay community. I just wonder what the motivation was for this murderous act.

 

JEFF

 

Local/State News

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Gay community rocked by performer's death

Saturday, May 18, 2002

Kathy Lynn Gray and Bruce Cadwallader

Dispatch Staff Reporters

 

 

Eric Albrecht / Dispatch

Michael Jennings, escorted by Columbus Police Officer Chris Waddle, is charged with aggravated murder in the slaying of Gary McMurtry. Jennings was in the county jail last night.

 

 

A male stripper dressed in black and armed with a samurai sword was arrested yesterday in the slashing death of "Brazon,'' a popular female impersonator who used to perform with him at Columbus gay clubs.

 

Columbus police charged Michael Jennings, 30, who goes by the stage name "Devon,'' with aggravated murder in the slaying of Gary E. McMurtry, 36, of 3485 Indianola Ave., just across from Olympic Swim Pool in Clintonville.

 

Detective Vince Houpe said Jennings broke through the glass of a back door at McMurtry's house about 6:50 a.m. yesterday. He cut the hand of McMurtry's roommate, Brian Bass, 45, and stormed upstairs, Houpe said. McMurtry suffered multiple stab wounds.

 

Bass called police about 7:15 a.m.

 

As for motive, "I think it was personal between the two of them,'' Houpe said. "Jennings has denied being there.''

 

McMurtry created the Gay Community People's Choice Awards in 1997, an annual benefit for the Columbus AIDS Task Force, said his long-time friend and fellow performer, Erica O'Hara.

 

At the Columbus Eagle bar where McMurtry regularly performed, the spotlight last shone on him Wednesday night.

 

Raised in Utica, north of Newark, McMurtry was named Miss Gay Ohio in 1994 and was ranked twice nationally in the Miss Gay America competition, O'Hara said.

 

"He's used to performing six nights a week and he's been in 36 states,'' O'Hara said. "Who would do something like this to him?''

 

Police said Jennings ran west through the neighborhood before police dogs tracked him about 8 a.m. to the front yard of a home at 3841 N. High St., a block south of the Whetstone Branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library.

 

Jennings, of 1250 Amol Lane on the Northwest Side, was still carrying a samurai sword, Houpe said. He offered no resistance and was in the Franklin County jail last night.

 

Bass, a hairdresser who worked on McMurtry's makeup and clothing, was in Riverside Methodist Hospitals last night and listed in good condition. He declined comment through a spokeswoman.

 

A third roommate, Scott Kohl, was in Philadelphia visiting his mother at the time of the slaying, said Eric Jundt, owner of the Columbus Eagle Bar, 232 N. Third St. .

 

Jundt said McMurtry knew Jennings and had hired him to perform with him at the Downtown club. He said fears that the slaying might be gay-bashing were put to rest when he learned that Jennings was the suspect.

 

Word of the slaying spread rapidly through the gay community.

 

Many were incredulous not only about McMurty's slaying, but about Jennings' arrest. Some employees at the Eagle last night described Jennings as sweet and soft-spoken.

 

"He wouldn't even eat meat because of the killing of animals,'' said Stefan Heston, an Eagle employee.

 

Jennings often carried the samurai sword in a case on his shoulder when he came into the Eagle. "He used to tell people it was a pool stick,'' Heston said.

 

Jennings had been staying at different places and was concerned the sword might be stolen, Heston said.

 

In memory of McMurtry, a special show will be performed Sunday night at the Eagle.

 

Dressed in elaborate costumes, McMurtry performed three nights a week at the Eagle and worked in other clubs as well, Jundt said. He said McMurtry was the Eagle's show director.

 

"The audience loved him; they were always wondering what he was going to do next,'' Jundt said. "He was a real showman with a very outgoing personality and a great sense of humor -- quick, quick-witted.''

 

He recently told an audience that his home had been burglarized, and quipped about how the thieves would need a U-Haul to carry away his expensive collection of designer kitchen appliances.

 

"He had people on the floor laughing,'' Houston said.

 

The main female impersonator at the Eagle, McMurtry hired other impersonators or male strippers to perform with him, Jundt said.

 

"He loved being on stage and loved having a microphone in his hand,'' Jundt said. One of his favorite impersonations was of Dolly Parton; a room in his home was filled with photographs of the country singer, Jundt said.

 

Jundt said he last saw Bass and McMurtry about 2:30 a.m. yesterday when they left the Eagle.

 

Employees at the Eagle expected a crowd last night.

 

"Knowing Gary, he'd have said, 'Have a party,' '' Jundt said. "He wouldn't have wanted something somber and morose. He'd want us to celebrate his life, not mourn his death.''

 

Dispatch Staff Reporter Alayna DeMartini contributed to this story.

[Guest DCeBOY]

>the guy was high & just laughing when the police got to the

>house.

 

i mean, when the police aprehended him. sorry.

[Guest DCeBOY]

uhh... hello!

 

who is the one who knew brazon?

gee thanks for asking about me.

[mmk]

RE: uhh... hello!

 

I am sorry Ethan, I was having a severe blonde moment. Somehow I did not put two and two together. I did not mean to appear to be insensitive to your loss or feelings. Please accept my apologies and my thoughts are with you.

[Guest DCeBOY]

OH MY G_D!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

what the hell???

i'm the one who knows the dead guy, the injured guy, and the roommate who was out of town.

you all sit there & comfort JEFF though?

 

ok... finally, enough.

[Will]

I just wonder what the

>motivation was for this murderous act.

 

In light of the almost camp ritualism of the murder, it's hard to attribute it to anything other than plain old homophobia. Just because the murderers were male strippers doesn't mean they were gay. Take care of yourself, please, Jeff. Although Columbus is a cool town, there are crazies everywhere.

[Flower]

RE: uhh... hello!

 

>who is the one who knew brazon?

>gee thanks for asking about me.

 

Ethan--You truley have my deepest sympathies--I was reading the thread and kept having to go back and see who was who because it didn't seem like the right person was getting the condolences. x(

 

Flower :*

[Guest jeffOH]

RE: uhh... hello!

 

>who is the one who knew brazon?

>gee thanks for asking about me.

 

You have my condolences, Ethan, I'd forgotten that you used to live here.

 

Brazon and I had a mutual friend, Jason Markus, who had worked with Brazon during his stripping days.

 

Will, not sure whether or not the stripper was gay or not. I get the impression that he was gay, though. They apparently knew each other fairly well. A guy who carries around a samurai sword in a case for fear of it getting stolen sounds a bit disturbed to me. I'm sure there will be more information coming out as this tragedy continues to unfold.

 

JEFF

jeff4men@hotmail.com

[Houston Bonfires]

RE: uhh... hello!

 

Dear Ethan:

 

I am sorry for your loss and you will be in my thoughts as I have come to enjoy your spirit and personality in your posts to this site.

 

Sincerely,

 

Houston Bonfires

[chrismac]

RE: uhh... hello!

 

Ethan - ditto here. Sorry I didn't read through carefully enough to remember you had mentioned you knew Brazon. I'm sure you're shocked by this. You have my heartfelt sympathy (and to his family and other friends as well).

 

I've been with Jeff and know he lives in Columbus - so thought there was a chance he might know the victim or may have seen the perpetrator(s) in the past. It's a tragedy all around.

 

Sorry again - you rightly deserve my apology for being careless about that.