A close friend of the homeless artist beaten to death in Central Park said he had been trying to get her off the streets after she confided that she didn’t trust the man who would ultimately be accused of killing her.
An array of flowers, handwritten notes, letters and photographs adorned the wooden, rundown gazebo on Oct. 4 where 63-year-old Francis Lee Rogers, also known as Elise Bainbridge Hill, had called home for years.
The memorial was capped by a hat hanging from a stick — similar to that which Hill wore while painting the wildlife that scurried around her.
“To the nice Lady. We didn’t know you, but we knew of you. May God bless your soul,” one note read.
Hill’s killing captured the attention of New Yorkers in the week since her death, with many describing the artist as the Big Apple’s real-life “Pigeon Lady.”
William Newman, a former member of the homeless community who was close to Hill, said she lived up to the reputation. Newman marveled at her artistic talents, recalling how she would even shape aluminum foil into squirrels and dogs. But in the months leading up to her death, Hill had grown suspicious of the man who would ultimately be accused of taking her life.
“A handful of times, she said a few months ago she did not trust him. I didn’t like him because I didn’t like the vibe he brought into here. He would just come in here, stare everybody down, and just cover up and go to sleep,” Newman told amNewYork. “But she said that she didn’t like him. She didn’t trust him.”
Jonathan Robles, 36, is accused of beating Hill to death with a stick, striking her more than 20 times, according to court documents. Prosecutors say Robles admitted to the killing after she struck him with the wood, telling police, “I did it until she couldn’t hit me anymore.”
Newman said he had sensed that something was wrong and, after getting himself off the streets, had been trying to connect Hill with a social worker and help move her into a safer environment.
“Enough is enough, she’s getting older, she don’t need to be out here. I just came from the shelter. So, I figured that if I could do it in six months, she could get her own single room,” Newman said. “All of us wanted her into a safe haven. We wanted her to do better for herself.”
John Sheehan was the social worker Newman had been trying to connect Hill with in the weeks before her death. Sheehan said he had met Hill after the COVID-19 pandemic but did not initially realize she was the same woman Newman had told him about. He had hoped to meet with her, but the connection never happened.
“Maybe she was busy, or maybe had something else she wanted to do, or maybe she wasn’t feeling well,” Sheehan said. He added that he believes things could have been different had they been able to meet. “I felt awful, and had my own support systems, talked to people I work with, and you know, I felt awful,” Sheehan said.
“She was smart, bright, and I remember her coming in and being, you know, polite, respectful, not overly chatty or talkative,” he added.
Not the only one
Civil rights attorney Norman Siegel and Marc Greenberg of the Interfaith Assembly on Homelessness and Housing also spoke with amNewYork on Sunday, calling on the city and New Yorkers to do more to help people like Hill who choose to sleep on the streets rather than enter the shelter system.
They said the city needs to provide alternatives for people who are reluctant to enter traditional shelters, including safe havens and other forms of supportive housing.
“We must create more viable options such as safe havens (single and double rooms), welcome centers, community mental health programs, addiction programs, and job training opportunities,” Siegel said. “My experience is that when offered viable, respectful options, many people experiencing street homelessness choose to come inside voluntarily. No New Yorker should have to live on the streets, in parks and or in the subway.”
Greenberg estimated that hundreds of people may be living in Central Park in similar circumstances to Hill. He said addressing the issue requires creating more single-room-occupancy housing while continuing to engage with people living on the streets.
Both Newman and Sheehan said they believe Hill’s death could have been prevented if she had been connected with the right services.
“I was on YouTube watching a movie, just killing time, and then a notification popped up, it said, ‘Woman found dead in Central Park.’ I said, ‘I hope it’s not Ms. Lee,’” Newman said.
“Things could have been different if she had the services at her hands,” he added.
