Queens Woman Facing Murder Charge In Times Square Subway Shove Due In Court
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A Queens woman accused of pushing another woman to her death in front of a subway train at a midtown subway station is expected in court today.
Melanie Liverpool, of St. Albans, was arrested Nov. 7, moments after police said she pushed a 49-year-old woman standing on the platform in front of a southbound No. 1 train at the Times Square/42nd Street station.
The victim has been identified as Connie Watton, of Long Island City, Queens.
Liverpool, 30, is charged with second-degree murder. She pleaded not guilty to the charge in Manhattan Criminal Court in early November.
Witnesses described hearing arguing before the fatal push. Police said the women did not know each other and that Liverpool may have been talking to herself before lashing out.
In recent years, about 50 people a year have died after being hit by New York City subway trains, in situations ranging from accidents to willful leaps. The numbers are small compared with the more than 1.7 billion subway rides taken each year, and officials say a substantial proportion are suicides.
A fatal subway push in 1999 led to state legislation, called Kendra's Law in honor of victim Kendra Webdale, allowing supervision of certain psychiatric patients outside of institutions to make sure they're taking medications and don't present a public safety threat.
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