Prominent Newsman's Death Called a 'Gay Slay'

The death of a radio reporter familiar to the audience of ABC radio was likely caused by a man the reporter allowed into his New York apartment willingly, authorities now believe.

The death of ABC radio's George Weber was reported in a March 22 article in The New York Times.

Earlier that same day, police had visited Weber's home and discovered his dead body. Weber was reportedly stabbed to death, with multiple wounds to his head, neck, and torso; there were also wounds on his hands and arms, according to media sources, which characterized the wounds as "defensive" in nature, meaning they were sustained as Weber sought to fend off his attacker.

A March 24 article in the New York Daily News said that blood was found spilled in the apartment. Authorities speculate that some of the blood might have come from the killer.

Weber was found in his bedroom, reports said, along with photos depicting sadomasochistic sex and gay sex. Weber was partially bound with duct tape. The apartment looked as though it had been subjected to a search, though it was not immediately evident whether anything had been stolen.

The New York Daily News item noted that a neighbor reported water had been running through the night in Weber's apartment, and that no hot water remained for the use of other tenants.

Police speculated that the killer may have washed off Weber's blood in the tub before departing the premises, leaving the water running. The murder weapon was not found at the scene.

The New York Times said that Weber had been heard on am radio station WABC radio for more than twelve years on various programs; after a layoff last year, Weber contributed freelance to ABC News Radio. He was called "a consummate journalist" by ABC vice president Steve Jones.

New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg was quoted in the article as saying that Weber was "an absolutely central part" of Bloomberg's WABC radio program, the Times reported.

Said Bloomberg, "George called news events as he saw them with little regard to party politics or ideology."

A March 23 New York Times article reported a witness account about a man spotted outside Weber's brownstone talking on a cell phone and pacing. The man was observed entering the building but was not seen leaving, the article said.

Investigators are looking into the possibility that the killer was someone Weber met online and invited over, the article said.

Concerned co-workers sent the police after being unable to contact Weber; when police went to Weber's building on March 21 to look into the matter. Receiving no answer at Weber's door, police left the scene, only to return the morning of March 22, after another report from worried co-workers.

During the second visit, officers heard from a neighbor that the sound of running water had been audible from Weber's apartment throughout the night. At that point, police went into the apartment, where they found Weber dead.

The New York Daily News said that neighbors had also reported hearing sounds of a struggle on the night of March 20. After a final thud, there were no more sounds, they said.

A March 24 article in the New York Post dubbed the killing a "gay slay," and reported that Weber's body was unclothed below the waist.

The article quoted a friend, singer Carla Lother, who said of Weber, "He was everyone's friend."

Continued Lother, "He lived a little on the edge, sometimes.

"Was he trusting? Yes. Did he have good boundaries? Probably not. Would he have let somebody in his house? Maybe," Lother added.

News of Weber's slaying excited commentary at news sites and gossip blogs. One comment at the New York Daily News site, taken down shortly after its posting, mused that "pillars of the community" were the people most likely to engage in "freaky s---," and gave a "shout out" to "the divine" in the wake of the tragedy.

Another posting at the same site compared gays to alcoholics and "gangsters," saying that they could "change" and asserting that "[it] is not easy to change but it is indeed more difficult not the change."

The posting read, "...so called religious leaders... are not teaching their parishioners what the Bible really teaches.

"They don't teach people that they not born gay, or alcoholics, or gangsters, etc. and if one has a life style of practicing any of the above, they can get help."

The posting went on, "There were many alcoholics, or drug addicts, or gay and lesbian practicers [sic] that have stopped those life styles which are against God's principles and are living a more stable and happy lives [sic]."

Added the posting, "This is a loving and respectful and hopefully insightful message that I hope may help many."

At Gawker.com, one individual claiming to have lived "half a block" from the slain Weber wrote in, "As I was walking home about 10 minutes ago, I passed about 6 cops and overheard, 'in these kinds of cases, they usually bring it on themselves.'"