The Dark Path of Larme Price: A Tale of Revenge and Murder

Introduction

In the bustling streets of New York City, a chilling series of events unfolded in early 2003 that would leave a mark on the city and its residents. The man at the center of this spree was Larme Price, an American serial killer whose motives were as complex as they were terrifying. Born on June 27, 1972, in Brooklyn, New York, Price's actions were driven by a twisted sense of vengeance for the September 11 attacks, although the true nature of his crimes revealed a broader, more disturbing pattern.

Early Life and Troubled Beginnings

Larme Price's life began in Brooklyn, where his journey seemed doomed from the start. According to his mother, Price was a mentally disturbed drug addict, a man plagued by demons he could not control. Despite seeking help, he was twice turned away from mental health facilities. His life was marred by violence and crime, with a record dating back to 1989 that included eight arrests for robbery, assault, and criminal weapons possession.

The aftermath of the September 11 attacks in 2001 seemed to tip Price over the edge. His mental health deteriorated rapidly, and he became consumed by paranoia, convinced that people were following him and that a tracking device had been implanted in his hand. His fear and anger bubbled over into homicidal urges, which he could no longer contain. Despite a brief treatment at Kings County Hospital Center on October 6, 2001, Price's downward spiral showed no signs of slowing.

Living in Crown Heights with his girlfriend, who was expecting their third child, Price was unemployed, supporting his family by selling stolen college textbooks. The pressures of his unstable life only fueled his dark fantasies, setting the stage for his violent outburst.

The Murders

Price's killing spree began on February 8, 2003, when he shot and killed 42-year-old John Freddy, a Guyana native of Indian descent, at a convenience store in Queens. Freddy was enjoying a coffee at the Central Mini Market in Ozone Park, just across the street from his workplace, when Price struck. Surveillance footage captured a man in a dark coat, baseball cap, and hooded sweatshirt shooting Freddy from behind the ear.

Just two hours later, Price continued his rampage, robbing the Around the Clock Minimart in Mill Basin, Brooklyn. There, he killed 50-year-old Sukhjit "Sammy" Khajala, an Indian immigrant working as the cashier. Khajala was shot in the face with the same gun used on Freddy, and Price walked away with $169 from the cash register.

On March 10, Price targeted Albert Kotlyar, a 32-year-old Ukrainian immigrant and manager at Laundry King Superstore in Bedford-Stuyvesant. Price approached Kotlyar while he slept in his booth, woke him, and shot him in the head. Price later claimed he felt disrespected when Kotlyar told him he could not sit in the store unless he was doing laundry. Price had been sitting there, drinking hot chocolate, while observing a gas station across the street.

The final known victim of Price's spree was 54-year-old Mohammed Ali Nassir, a Yemeni immigrant killed on March 20 at the Stop II Food Market in Crown Heights. Price shot Nassir as he sat near the store's door, then fired through a plastic barrier, hitting Nassir's 20-year-old cousin, Yakoob Aldailam, in the arm, leg, and chest. Aldailam survived the attack and was taken to the hospital. Price later admitted he targeted Nassir because he overheard him speaking in a foreign language and felt watched by him.

The Arrest

Despite his attempts to evade capture, Price's conscience drove him to the 77th Precinct station on March 28, 2003, where he claimed to know the identity of the killer—"Dog." However, the police were skeptical. They noted that Price had a pigeon-toed walk similar to the suspect seen in surveillance footage. His resemblance to the man on the wanted posters further heightened their suspicions. When police met with Price the following day, he confessed to the murders after reportedly being moved by a Bible verse, "Thou shalt not kill."

Initially, Price was also linked to a fifth murder on March 1, 2003, when 37-year-old Marc Zanichelli was killed during a robbery at his auto shop in Brooklyn. However, Price did not confess to this killing, and the use of a .45 caliber pistol differentiated it from his other crimes.

Following his arrest, police learned Price had been taken to Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center for psychiatric help by his mother just a day before the Kotlyar murder, but he was released that same night. A search of his girlfriend's house uncovered the pistol used in Nassir's murder, along with clothing believed to have been worn during the shootings.

Price claimed he acted on orders from his cell phone, which he believed instructed him to avenge the September 11 attacks by killing Arabs. His warped sense of justice led to a tragic spree of violence fueled by Arabophobia and Islamophobia.

Legal Proceedings

Charged with four counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder, Price faced the legal consequences of his actions. In a plea deal with the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office and the Capital Defenders Office, Price pleaded guilty to avoid the death penalty. In return, he received a life sentence without parole—a decision approved by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Neil Firetog.

On February 11, 2004, Price was found guilty and sentenced to 150 years in prison without the possibility of parole. His appeal was denied, sealing his fate behind bars.

Imprisonment and Legal Challenges

After his conviction, Price filed a pro se motion on July 21, 2008, challenging his conviction. However, this motion was denied four times by the Kings County Supreme Court between 2008 and 2010. His petition for a habeas corpus writ was also denied on September 29, 2014.

Price was initially incarcerated at Sullivan Correctional Facility. Following its closure in November 2024, he was transferred to Green Haven Correctional Facility, where he remains to this day.

Sources

For further details, please refer to the original Wikipedia article on Larme Price: Larme Price - Wikipedia