Simon Brooks is a serial killer who murdered seven young black boys in Manhattan, five of which led to Andrew Dillard being wrongfully convicted.
History
The first body was found on the banks of the Hudson River, with a note in the pocket saying "they must be destroyed." Because there was no sign of sexual assault and given the contents of the note, the police came to the conclusion that the murderer was a racist targeting African Americans. When four more bodies turned up, the police realized that a serial killer was on the loose.
After the discovery of the fifth body, a suspect, Andrew Dillard, was arrested. Dillard, characterized as a "psycho racist," drove a delivery truck for a bakery, which gave him access to the victims, who were preyed on as they hung out at grocery stores, and an expert witness testified that his handwriting matched the notes. Dillard was convicted and given five consecutive life sentences. Diana Hawthorne, Jack McCoy's assistant and lover, also deliberately withheld exculpatory evidence and strongly suggested to the handwriting expert that he strengthen the fingerprint evidence in order to prevent further murders.
Around that time, Brooks confessed his crimes to his mother. Rather than turn him in, she placed him on antipsychotic medication and sent him to appointments at Bellevue. When she passed away, Brooks stopped taking his medication and attending his appointments. Eventually, he murdered his sixth victim, leading Detectives Briscoe and Curtis to believe a copycat was on the loose. After Brooks killed his seventh and final victim, Briscoe and Curtis connected him to both victims, and brought him in for questioning. He quickly confessed to the murders. When asked if he got the idea from Dillard, Brooks said that Dillard had nothing to do with it: he had committed all of the murders. He is currently institutionalized.
Known Victims
- 1991:
- Two unnamed boys
- Jaleel Franklin
- Two unnamed boys
- 1996:
- November 14: Derrick Walters
- November 16: Sean Monroe
Trivia
- Simon Brooks is probably based on Wayne Williams, convicted for the Atlanta Child Murders that occurred in 1980's Atlanta. Some people believe he may have been trying to "purify" the black race.