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Neighbor Charged In DC Gay Activist Wanda Alston's Murder
Washington police Thursday night charged a neighbor with the killing of Wanda R. Alston, Washington Mayor Tony Williams' liaison to the gay community.
Neighbor Charged In DC Gay Activist Wanda Alston's Murder
by Doreen Brandt 365Gay.com Washington Bureau
Posted: March 17, 2005 7:30 pm ET, Updated 9:18 pm ET
(Washington) Washington police Thursday night charged a neighbor with the killing of Wanda R. Alston, Washington Mayor Tony Williams' liaison to the gay community.
William M. Parrot, Jr., 38, was charged with first-degree murder while armed. He lived just two doors away from Alston and her partner.
Parrot will appear in court Friday.
Alston, a longtime Washington feminist and LGBT activist was found murdered in her home last night by her partner. (story)
An autopsy showed she had been stabbed numerous times.
Police Chief Charles Ramsey said Alston was lying face down, in a bloody crime scene. Her car was also missing.
Ramsey said Thursday night that evidence found at the crime scene pointed to Parrot but would not say what that evidence was.
Ramsey also would not discuss the motive for the killing.
The chief, along with other top members of the Williams cabinet arrived at the home as soon as the first police officers at the scene realized who the victim was.
Alston, 45, was considered a member of Williams's inner cabinet.
City Administrator Robert Bobb and school board president Peggy Cooper Cafritz arrived shortly after chief Ramsey.
A tip lead police to the car Thursday afternoon in Southeast Washington, about two miles east of her home. When detectives arrived, people in the area pointed out the man who had been driving the car, and Parrot was arrested after a brief foot chase.
The 2000 Nissan Sentra was taken to the mobile crime unit to collect evidence.
At a morning news conference Mayor Williams said he was in shock.
"Her contributions to the people of our city were really beyond measure," Williams said. "All of us remember her as a passionate energetic woman who spoke for those who were unable to speak for themselves."
Williams said Alston did not show up for her afternoon appointments on Wednesday.
Alston is a longtime activist. She has served as co-chair of the DC Coalition of Black Lesbians, Gay Men & Bisexuals. She also worked at the Human Rights Campaign as an events manager and later went on to establish a political consulting firm, Alston Consulting Services, Inc.
"Wanda was an incredible woman and the profound meaning of her loss cannot be overstated," said Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese.
"Wanda's reach went far beyond Washington. She left her mark on the nation. Wanda exemplified the spirit of activism that awakens the masses and ultimately wins equality. While she has been tragically taken from the community, her spirit will never die."
In 1992, Alston served as the executive assistant to the president of the National Organization of Women, Patricia Ireland, and later as the special projects director where she helped to organize four national marches in Washington, DC and one in San Francisco.
Alston was a founding member of the National Stonewall Democrats, serving as a former board member and was active in the organization's DC chapter - the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club.
"Stonewall is saddened by the loss of our friend, and one of our community's finest leaders," said Eric Stern, NSD Executive Director.
"Wanda Alston helped foster the creation of our national organization in 1998, and continued to increase the visibility of LGBT Americans, especially LGBT Americans of color, among the residents of the District of Columbia and among Democrats throughout the country."
Williams named Alston his special assistant for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Affairs in 2001. Last September the mayor raised her position to a Cabinet-level.
At the time of her murder Alston had been preparing for Williams' first gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender summit currently scheduled for April 30.
©365Gay.com 2005
by Doreen Brandt 365Gay.com Washington Bureau
Posted: March 17, 2005 7:30 pm ET, Updated 9:18 pm ET
(Washington) Washington police Thursday night charged a neighbor with the killing of Wanda R. Alston, Washington Mayor Tony Williams' liaison to the gay community.
William M. Parrot, Jr., 38, was charged with first-degree murder while armed. He lived just two doors away from Alston and her partner.
Parrot will appear in court Friday.
Alston, a longtime Washington feminist and LGBT activist was found murdered in her home last night by her partner. (story)
An autopsy showed she had been stabbed numerous times.
Police Chief Charles Ramsey said Alston was lying face down, in a bloody crime scene. Her car was also missing.
Ramsey said Thursday night that evidence found at the crime scene pointed to Parrot but would not say what that evidence was.
Ramsey also would not discuss the motive for the killing.
The chief, along with other top members of the Williams cabinet arrived at the home as soon as the first police officers at the scene realized who the victim was.
Alston, 45, was considered a member of Williams's inner cabinet.
City Administrator Robert Bobb and school board president Peggy Cooper Cafritz arrived shortly after chief Ramsey.
A tip lead police to the car Thursday afternoon in Southeast Washington, about two miles east of her home. When detectives arrived, people in the area pointed out the man who had been driving the car, and Parrot was arrested after a brief foot chase.
The 2000 Nissan Sentra was taken to the mobile crime unit to collect evidence.
At a morning news conference Mayor Williams said he was in shock.
"Her contributions to the people of our city were really beyond measure," Williams said. "All of us remember her as a passionate energetic woman who spoke for those who were unable to speak for themselves."
Williams said Alston did not show up for her afternoon appointments on Wednesday.
Alston is a longtime activist. She has served as co-chair of the DC Coalition of Black Lesbians, Gay Men & Bisexuals. She also worked at the Human Rights Campaign as an events manager and later went on to establish a political consulting firm, Alston Consulting Services, Inc.
"Wanda was an incredible woman and the profound meaning of her loss cannot be overstated," said Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese.
"Wanda's reach went far beyond Washington. She left her mark on the nation. Wanda exemplified the spirit of activism that awakens the masses and ultimately wins equality. While she has been tragically taken from the community, her spirit will never die."
In 1992, Alston served as the executive assistant to the president of the National Organization of Women, Patricia Ireland, and later as the special projects director where she helped to organize four national marches in Washington, DC and one in San Francisco.
Alston was a founding member of the National Stonewall Democrats, serving as a former board member and was active in the organization's DC chapter - the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club.
"Stonewall is saddened by the loss of our friend, and one of our community's finest leaders," said Eric Stern, NSD Executive Director.
"Wanda Alston helped foster the creation of our national organization in 1998, and continued to increase the visibility of LGBT Americans, especially LGBT Americans of color, among the residents of the District of Columbia and among Democrats throughout the country."
Williams named Alston his special assistant for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Affairs in 2001. Last September the mayor raised her position to a Cabinet-level.
At the time of her murder Alston had been preparing for Williams' first gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender summit currently scheduled for April 30.
©365Gay.com 2005
For more information:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...
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IMC Network
By Del Quentin Wilber and Clarence Williams
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, March 18, 2005; Page A08
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45369-2005Mar17.html
District police detectives got an abrupt and unexpected break yesterday
afternoon in the fatal stabbing of a D.C. Cabinet member when they
arrested a man just blocks from where they had recovered her missing car.
Police charged William Parrot Jr., 38, with first-degree murder in the
death of Wanda R. Alston, 45, acting director of the mayor's Office of
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Affairs.
Alston was found stabbed to death Wednesday just inside the front door
of her house, part of a duplex in the 3800 block of East Capitol Street
NE, police said. Police investigators said they saw no obvious signs of
forced entry. Alston was stabbed more than five times and had defensive
wounds on her arms, indicating she struggled with her attacker, police
officials said.
Alston and Parrot were next-door neighbors, but it was not clear last
night how well they knew each other. He has lived on the block for about
two years, neighbors said, and in August married a woman whose family
has owned the house for at least three generations.
"This fella seemed like a nice fella," said Eleanor Brown, 72. "I just
don't know. . . . I've never heard of anything like this in my life."
Kimberly Herbert, another resident of the 3800 block, said that Parrot
would knock on her door once or twice a week asking for cigarettes or a
ride. She said he was polite and easy to talk to, though she didn't
know him well.
Herbert said she believed that Parrot was usually at home during the
day because he was between jobs. He moved from job to job frequently
during the past two years, she said. At one point, he worked at the D.C.
morgue, she believed. Officials at the D.C. medical examiner's office
could not confirm that last night.
Herbert said that residents of the block are friendly and open their
homes to one another. "I guess that's why she thought she could turn her
back on him," Herbert said of Alston.
Earlier yesterday, police said they had not been able to find Alston's
car, a Nissan Sentra that had been parked in front of her house. But an
anonymous tipster called authorities about 2 p.m. to report seeing the
car parked in the 5000 block of C Street SE, about a mile from her
house, police said. The car's engine was warm when they arrived.
Police were searching the area and preparing to have it towed when they
found a witness. At the scene, a man told a reporter and a photographer
that the Nissan had been driven by a man who was around the corner.
The witness, who said the man had driven the car that morning, was
directed to police detectives. A half-dozen detectives and a uniformed
officer walked with the witness about a block to an apartment complex,
where the witness pointed out the driver of Alston's car.
Police handcuffed the man and drove him to the department's homicide
unit for questioning.
That man, later identified as Parrot, gave statements implicating
himself in the crime, police officials said. Detectives recovered two of
Alston's credit cards from Parrot's pockets, police officials said.
Police officials declined to discuss other aspects of the
investigation, though they said they had a solid case against Parrot. They said they
did not know of a motive last night.
"We have the guy, there is no question," Chief Charles H. Ramsey said
after a news conference announcing Parrot's arrest. "We have good
evidence."
Police said it appeared that Parrot had been acting alone. Police could
not say why he was in the Southeast neighborhood where he was arrested.
Top city officials -- including Ramsey, Mayor Anthony A. Williams (D)
and City Administrator Robert C. Bobb -- attended the news conference
last night and applauded the tipster and the witness, saying they would
not have solved the case without them.
The arrest "provides us with some sense of closure and resolution to
this horrible loss," Williams told reporters.
At a news conference yesterday, Williams expressed sadness over the
killing, saying his "heart is broken."
"Wanda Alston's contributions to the people of this city were beyond
measure," he said. "This is a huge loss."
© 2005 The Washington Post Company
Wanda Alston was active in political and community affairs in
Washington for many years.
By Keith Rushing
Daily Press
Published March 18, 2005
http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/dp-83939sy0mar18,0,6031420.story?coll=dp-news-local-final
A Newport News native and member of Washington, D.C., Mayor Anthony
Williams' Cabinet was found stabbed to death in her home Wednesday
evening.
Emergency workers found Wanda R. Alston's body near the entrance of her
East Capitol Street residence after responding to a call about an
unconscious person, police said.
On Thursday, officers charged one of Alston's neighbors, William M.
Parrot Jr., 38, with killing her. Police didn't give a motive.
Alston, 45, served as the acting director of the Office of Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Affairs and was a liaison to the gay and
transgender community for the mayor's office.
Alston graduated from Warwick High School and Norfolk State University,
where she majored in mass communications. She also received a master's
degree in business administration from Washington's Southeastern
University.
A tipster, who told Washington police the location of Alston's car
Thursday afternoon, was credited with helping detectives solve the crime.
Alston's 2000 Nissan Sentra had been missing since the killing.
After police found Alston's car, about two miles from her home in
southeast Washington, neighborhood residents told police who was seen
driving it, police said.
Parrot was arrested after a brief chase.
Evidence at the scene linked Parrot to the crime, said Charles Ramsey,
the city's police chief. He didn't say what that the evidence was.
"You can't say enough about the public coming forward in any homicide
case," Ramsey said. "If we could get this kind of information in all our
cases, we could probably close many of them."
Marva Alston, one of Wanda Alston's sisters, called her "a very
outgoing person -- very hardworking and very ambitious."
The Newport News resident said the family, including six living
siblings, was in tremendous grief.
Williams, Washington's mayor, praised Alston in a statement released by
the city.
"Wanda Alston's contributions to the people of this city were beyond
measure," he said. "She was a passionate, energetic woman who often spoke
for those who were not able to speak for themselves."
Williams said her death was a personal loss for him and a huge loss for
the city.
Alston worked as the mayor's liaison to the U.S. Census Bureau from
1999 to 2000. She became the mayor's special assistant for Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual and Transgender Affairs in 2001.
Previously, she ran a political fund-raising firm and was an executive
assistant for the National Organization for Women.
Marva Alston said her sister lived in Washington for about 20 years and
liked political work, including being an advocate for the gay and
lesbian community.
"She always wanted to speak out on those issues," Alston said. "She
enjoyed working in politics."
Alston said her mother and another sister were in Washington Thursday
afternoon, trying to learn more about the circumstances surrounding her
sister's death.
"She's very hurt," Alston said of her mother's emotional state.
Alston said the family hadn't yet made funeral arrangements.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Copyright ©2005 The Daily Press
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