Sabina O’Donnell 21, stripped, beaten, strangled to death Northern Liberties PA

[Nut44x4]

$25K Reward Offered for Sabina’s Killer
Funds raised to find killer that left nude body of waitress in lot

Jun 3, 2010


Sabina Rose O’Donnell was stripped, beaten and strangled until dead and left like garbage in a vacant lot in Northern Liberties Wednesday. Now the people of Philadelphia want her killer found, and they’re willing to pay for it.

The Citizens Crime Commission announced a $25,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the 21-year-old waitress’ murderer. The reward funds are being provided by family, friends and Northern Liberties businesses.

Also raising money for a reward is the owner of P.Y.T., the popular restaurant where O’Donnell worked in Piazza at Schmidts.

The young woman, described as “genuine,” “always smiling,” and having a  “sparkle in her eye,” by friends and acquaintances who built a Facebook page in her memory, had spent Tuesday night with friends at El Camino Real until about 10 p.m. She then went to a friend’s house and at about midnight borrowed her friend’s bike to get home to her home at 4th Street, near Thompson.

O’Donnell never made it.

"When she got to the outside of that location, she was approached by an unknown male who dragged her to the rear of that property, took all of her clothes off of her, savagely beat her about the head and body and, we believe, strangled her and robbed her," Homicide Captain James Clark said.

O’Donnell’s naked body was found at about 10 a.m. Wednesday behind a tree in an empty lot on the 1200 block of N. Orianna Street.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Crime Commission Tipline at 215.546.8477 (TIPS).

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local-beat/25K-Reward-Offered-for-Sabinas-Killer-95525329.html

[Nut44x4]

Posted on Thu, Jun. 3, 2010
Northern Liberties waitress, 21, found slain

Sabina Rose O'Donnell had just four blocks to go. When she left a friend's apartment at Front Street and Girard Avenue shortly after midnight, she was a five-minute bike ride from home.

The popular 21-year-old waitress never made it inside.

Her nude body was found Wednesday morning in a lot behind the apartment she shared with her stepfather in the 1200 block of Fourth Street, on the northern edge of Northern Liberties.

O'Donnell suffered blunt-force trauma to her face and body and was apparently strangled, Capt. James Clark of the Homicide Unit said. One law enforcement source said a piece of her clothing had been found wrapped around her neck.

There were no indications that O'Donnell knew her killer, Clark said, and police had no leads Wednesday night. Investigators hoped to look at surveillance footage from the area and were talking to neighbors who may have heard something.

"This was savage and brutal," Clark said of the killing. "This person is someone we need to find as soon as possible."

Police believe the killer approached O'Donnell in front of her house, then dragged her to a lot on Orianna Street, about a half-block off Girard.

Clark would not comment on whether O'Donnell had been sexually assaulted, pending the medical examiner's report, but law enforcement sources said there were signs she had been raped.

At a vigil Wednesday night at Fourth and Girard, several dozen of O'Donnell's friends gathered to share memories. They said she had taken lots of pictures and loved going clubbing and out to dinner.

They cheered for her, saying, "To Sabina!" "We love you, girl!"

One friend spoke about having dinner with O'Donnell Tuesday night, a meal that included O'Donnell's favorite bottle of wine.

"She said, 'We don't deserve this life,' " the friend said. "I'd like to think she really enjoyed that last bottle."

O'Donnell's friends urged each other not to go home alone, and to watch each other go in their houses.

O'Donnell frequented the Northern Liberties neighborhood that has in recent years become one of the city's hottest areas for young hipsters, artists, and professionals to live, shop, and bar hop.

O'Donnell worked at PYT, a lounge and burger joint in the Piazza at Schmidts, which was closed Wednesday in her memory.

Owner Tommy Updegrove posted on Twitter, "PYT is closed tonight for a death in our family. We love you guys."

Debbie Renta, who lives with her family across the street from where O'Donnell lived, said the killing made her more concerned for her 20-year-old daughter.

"She comes home alone. Sometimes I do, too," Renta said. "Who could have done this to that girl? I hope they catch him."

O'Donnell spent Tuesday night out with friends in Northern Liberties, going first to El Camino Real restaurant around 7:30 and then next door to Bar Ferdinand.

Around 10 p.m. she and a female friend went to the friend's apartment to watch movies and hang out, Clark said. Around midnight, O'Donnell asked to borrow her friend's bicycle and pedaled home.

A neighbor walking a dog found O'Donnell's body shortly before 10 a.m. She had been robbed, police said, and the contents of her purse were strewed around the lot.

O'Donnell's purse was missing, but it had been found shortly before 7 a.m. Wednesday near Fourth and Girard by a woman on her way to a bus stop.

The purse was on the curb near the intersection, and the woman, who asked not to be named, picked it up and looked for identification. Inside she saw pictures, change, pay stubs, and a wallet, which was open and empty.

The woman took the bag to a mailing store and sent it to the address she found on the pay stubs.

"I packaged it up, put it in a bag with a note saying I'd found it, and that I hoped everything was OK," she said. "Now I feel stupid that I said that."

Moments after sending the purse, the woman learned of O'Donnell's death from a friend and recognized the name. She then returned to the mailing store, retrieved the purse, and called police.

Last June, Rian Thal, 34, and Timothy Gilmore, 40, were shot and killed outside Thal's apartment at the Piazza at Schmidts. Police have said they were involved in drug dealing.

Anyone with information in O'Donnell's killing is asked to call the Homicide Unit at 215-686-3334.

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/front_page/20100603_Northern_Liberties_waitress__21__found_slain.html#axzz0pou3bYyK

[Nut44x4]

Police: No suspect yet in Sabina Rose killing

Updated at 12:40 PM today
KENSINGTON - June 7, 2010 (WPVI) -- Investigators say they are still searching for a suspect in the high-profile killing of a young woman in Philadelphia.

Sabina Rose O'Donnell, 20, was found dead back on Wednesday in a lot next to the apartment building where she lived with her stepfather in the Kensington section of Philadelphia, near the border of Northern Liberties.

Police say O'Donnell died of strangulation and was sexually assaulted. Her body was found nude with a bra wrapped around her neck. Police are testing DNA samples found on her body in hopes of finding a suspect.

A reward of $25,000 is being offered by the Citizen's Crime Commission for an arrest and conviction in this case.

Anyone with information in this case can call the Citizen's Crime Commission at 215-546-TIPS. Callers can remain anonymous.

Police say O'Donnell was out with friends Tuesday night at El Camino, a bar on 2nd Street, and ended up at a friend's house at Front and Girard.

At some point early Wednesday morning, police say O'Donnell rode a bicycle home.

Police say an unknown male snatched her as she arrived at the apartment building and she was then dragged to the rear of the building.

Sabina's friends and relatives created a Facebook page in her memory which featured many photos of a young woman described by her mother as a beautiful, magical woman.
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=7483120&pt=print

[Nut44x4]

Jun 16, 2010 6:53 am US/Eastern

Northern Liberties Murder Suspect Arrested

Police arrested and charged a teenage suspect in connection to the Northern Liberties murder of 20-year-old Sabina Rose O'Donnell.

Sources say police received a tip call Tuesday providing the name of the teenage suspect. The teen was arrested later in the day and according to sources, confessed to the crime and allegedly told police the crime was an attempt to steal the victim's bike.

The unidentified male has been officially charged with the murder of Sabina Rose O'Donnell, a popular Northern Liberties waitress, who was attacked as she rode a bicycle home from a friend's house on June 2. O'Donnell was beaten, sexually assaulted and strangled. Her naked body was found in an empty lot down the street from her home. On June 10, detectives released surveillance video of the suspect who was seen following Sabina on a bike in the area of the murder.

http://cbs3.com/local/Northern.Liberties.Murder.2.1754135.html

[MuffyBee]

http://cbs3.com/local/Northern.Liberties.Murder.2.1754135.html
(With video & slide show)
Suspect Arrested In Northern Liberties Murder
June 17, 2010


Donte Johnson, 18, has been charged with the June 2, 2010 murder and rape of Sabina O'Donnell.

A teenage suspect is in custody in connection with the brutal murder of 20-year-old Sabina Rose O'Donnell in Northern Liberties earlier this month.

Authorities say a tip call lead to the arrest of 18-year-old Donte Johnson of the 900 block of N. 11 Street.

Johnson was taken into custody Tuesday evening after his mother arranged his surrender with police. Sources say just 15 minutes after arriving at police headquarters, the teen allegedly confessed to his involvement in O'Donnell's death.

"The investigation revealed that this heinous crime was a random attack and was started by the fact that Mr. Johnson wanted to take her bike," said Philadelphia Police Homicide Captain James Clark.

O'Donnell apparently fought back and screamed as the suspect attempted to steal her bicycle.

"From that point on, it turned into a really heinous and gruesome murder," Captain Clark said. "We are 100 percent positive we have the right individual."

Sabina, a popular Northern Liberties waitress, was attacked at about 2:30 a.m. as she rode a bicycle home from a friend's house on June 2. She was beaten, sexually assaulted and strangled. Her naked body was found in an empty lot down the street from her home.

On June 10, detectives released surveillance video of the suspect who was seen following Sabina on a bike in the area of the murder. A neighbor recognized the suspect and contacted police.

"The public was extremely helpful in capturing this individual," said Captain Clark. "We got several tips on who the killer was, obviously a lot of tips did not pan out, but then one of them did.

"We are very happy to have this individual (Johnson) off the street."

Police records indicate that Johnson has had previous brushes with the law.

In September 2006, he was charged with assault after punching a school police officer. In December 2006, Johnson faced terroristic threats after saying "I'm going to get all you expletive teachers. And in July 2008, he was charged with possessing 43 bags of crack.

Johnson was placed on the juvenile court's "most wanted" list. Sources say his home was raided on April 9, but he was not found.

[MuffyBee]

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=7541917
(Slide Show)
Suspect in Sabina Rose killing waives hearing
July 7, 2010



PHILADELPHIA - July 7, 2010 -- The teenager accused of raping and strangling a Philadelphia waitress outside her apartment building sobbed in court as he waived his preliminary hearing on a murder charge.


Eighteen-year-old Donte Johnson cried Wednesday as he was ordered to stand trial in last month's slaying of 20-year-old Sabina Rose O'Donnell outside her Northern Liberties building.

Authorities say Johnson initially tried to rob O'Donnell of her bike but the attack escalated. Prosecutors say Johnson confessed to the killing and DNA evidence from the crime scene links him to the attack.


Prompted by surveillance footage and an anonymous tip, police began searching for Johnson after O'Donnell's body was discovered. His mother later arranged for him to turn himself in to police.

Defense attorney Guy Sciolla declined comment to reporters following the hearing.

[MuffyBee]

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/97948139.html?cmpid=15585797
Accused killer of NoLibs waitress weeps in court
July 7, 2010

Two weeks after Sabina Rose O'Donnell's body was found in an overgrown lot near Northern Liberties last month, 18-year-old Donte Johnson sat down with police detectives and confessed to raping and strangling the 20-year-old woman.

Johnson claimed he saw O'Donnell riding the kind of racing bicycle he wanted, and went after it instinctively. Johnson said he grabbed O'Donnell off the bicycle by her neck, choked her, and hauled her behind the building where she lived at Fourth Street and Girard Avenue. She was unconscious when he raped her, he told police.

Detectives asked how he felt about the murder, according to the statement he gave to police.

"I don't like the whole thing," Johnson said. "I shouldn't have did it. I shouldn't have put my hands on her. All over a bike."

On Wednesday Johnson wept in his first court appearance since his June 15 arrest, his shoulders shaking as he sat before Municipal Court Judge Jimmie Moore. He said little other than to respond to yes-or-no questions, and waived his preliminary hearing. Johnson's arraignment was scheduled for later this month.

During Wednesday's proceedings, Assistant District Attorney Richard Sax introduced two key components of the state's case against Johnson: Johnson's confession, and DNA evidence that he said linked Johnson to the killing.

Investigators found a significant amount of genetic material from Johnson on O'Donnell's body, Sax said. There may be additional DNA evidence on the clothes Johnson wore the night of O'Donnell's death.

Johnson's attorney, Guy Sciolla, declined to comment Wednesday.

Johnson's and O'Donnell's relatives sat in the courtroom, some weeping. Johnson's mother was distraught after the proceedings and was comforted by friends and family in the hallway outside. O'Donnell's mother also cried, wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with a drawing by her daughter.

O'Donnell, an aspiring dancer and model who worked as a waitress at a Northern Liberties restaurant, was killed June 2 on her way home from a night with friends. She left a friend's apartment around 2:30 a.m., using a bicycle borrowed from a friend, and pedaled a few blocks to the apartment she shared with her stepfather at Fourth Street and Girard Avenue.

Johnson, a ninth-grade dropout from the 900 block of North 11th Street, told police he was pedaling around the neighborhood, hoping to steal a bicycle. A surveillance camera caught him as he crossed paths with O'Donnell shortly before 3 a.m., then turned to follow her home. O'Donnell's naked body was found shortly before 10 the next morning, badly beaten and strangled.

In his statement, Johnson told police he grabbed O'Donnell because "I liked her bike. I needed a bike. . . . It was one of them old racing bikes."

Once he approached O'Donnell, things escalated quickly. He put her in a headlock that cut off her air supply, he told police, then dragged her to the lot.

"She tried to scream, but I caught her already so that stopped her," he said in the statement. "She couldn't breathe. When I let her go she fell on her face."

Johnson told police that when O'Donnell fell, she passed out but was still breathing. He raped her, then took off his white undershirt, wiped his face and body with it, and threw it over a fence.

Johnson did not say in his statement whether he knew O'Donnell was dead when he left her, but police have said she was. Johnson took O'Donnell's keys and entered her apartment building. He walked in the open door of a neighbor's apartment and washed his hands in the bathroom, then bolted when the neighbor awoke on her living room couch and saw him.

He fled on his bicycle, he told police, leaving O'Donnell's. At home, he stashed his pants in a laundry bag.

"I didn't want to tell nobody about this," he told detectives.

Johnson was arrested June 15, after police released surveillance videos, and someone called with a tip.

Johnson did not explain why O'Donnell's bra was found knotted around her neck, saying that must have happened when he took her clothes off. He also said that he never punched O'Donnell and that she was injured when she fell on her face.

The medical examiner's report tells a different story. O'Donnell was found with bruises around one eye and blood on her mouth and nose. She had cuts, scrapes and bruises on her face, head, legs and arms. The bra was wrapped around her neck twice and tied so tightly that the underwires dug into her skin.

After court, Sax acknowledged that in the police statement, Johnson tried to downplay how badly he had beaten O'Donnell.

"I think (Johnson) is still in some sort of state of denial as to the extent of what he did to her," Sax said. "He was clearly out of control."

[Sister]

I hope this statement -- he went after (the bike) instinctively. . .

[Sister]

above should have read, I hope the statement is not true!!!
need more caffine.