Notorious NYC Cannibal Daniel Rakowitz Moved to Lower-Security Facility, Sparking Release Fears
Rakowitz, convicted of murder and dismemberment in 1989, has reportedly been transferred to Manhattan Psychiatric Center, a less secure facility.
Daniel Rakowitz, 65, known for a notorious 1989 murder and dismemberment case in which he allegedly fed his roommate's remains to homeless individuals, has reportedly been moved to a lower-security wing of a psychiatric facility. The transfer to Manhattan Psychiatric Center, also located on Ward's Island but with less security than the Kirby Forensic Psychiatric Center where he had been held, has raised concerns among some hospital employees about a potential release.
Rakowitz was found not criminally responsible for the murder of his roommate, Monika Beerle, by reason of insanity in 1991. He was subsequently committed to the maximum-security Kirby Forensic Psychiatric Center. Sources told the New York Post that Rakowitz was moved to the Manhattan Psychiatric Center two years ago. An anonymous source expressed concern that the center is "letting people out prematurely every day," speculating that Rakowitz "may be one of those that end up getting out."
Hospital staff were reportedly surprised to see Rakowitz in the lower-security wing. The Manhattan Psychiatric Center offers inpatient and outpatient services, as well as transitional living options for patients. The Office of Mental Health, which oversees state-run facilities, declined to confirm Rakowitz's move, citing privacy laws.
In 2010, Rakowitz petitioned the New York Supreme Court to transfer to a less secure facility but was denied. At the time, former Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance stated that the court's decision "continues to protect the residents of New York."
The case gained renewed attention when "The View" co-host Sunny Hostin revealed she was the holdout juror in Rakowitz's trial. Hostin stated she believed Rakowitz was psychotic and acted out of panic after killing Beerle, dismembering her body, and boiling parts of it. She recounted intense jury deliberations, including a fellow juror throwing a chair at her. However, newspaper clippings from the time suggested the holdout juror was an unemployed man seeking payment and free meals for extended trial participation. The New York Times reported that one juror convinced others not to deliver a guilty verdict, with juror Asuncion Cummings (Hostin's maiden name) quoted as saying, "We don't think he intended to kill her. But once he did, he dismembered her body in an effort to commit the perfect crime."
Before the crime, Rakowitz was known in the East Village for selling marijuana and carrying a live chicken, referring to himself as the "God of Marijuana." He testified during his trial that he preferred prison to a mental hospital to avoid medication and denied killing Beerle, though he confessed to dismembering her and boiling her bones. A witness testified that Rakowitz served a homeless man soup containing a human finger. After the verdict, Rakowitz reportedly thanked the jury and expressed hope for future shared activities, while also stating his intention to sell marijuana to fund an investigation into who actually committed the crime.