Police Test Knives For DNA In Investigation Into Murder Of Barnard College Student Tessa Majors
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Police are testing two knives for DNA evidence that might link a teenager and his friends to the murder of Barnard College student Tessa Majors.
Police say divers didn't find any other possible weapons after searching a pond in Morningside Park.
Investigators are charging a 13-year-old boy with murder. Detectives say the teen implicated two of his friends in the crime, but say right now there isn't enough evidence to charge them.
This weekend, Sergeants Benevolent Association president Ed Mullins claimed Majors was murdered while trying to buy marijuana.
Monday, her family addressed his comments, saying:
The remarks by Sergeants Benevolent Association president Ed Mullins we find deeply inappropriate, as they intentionally or unintentionally direct blame onto Tess, a young woman, for her own murder.
We would ask Mr. Mullins not to engage in such irresponsible public speculation, just as the NYPD asked our family not to comment as it conducts the investigation.
Our family is interested in knowing what exactly happened to Tess and who committed her murder. We believe, for the immediate safety of the community and the surrounding schools, that should be everyone's top priority and we are grateful to the men and women of the NYPD for all of their efforts.
Our family would like to thank the thousands of strangers who have taken the time to console us, share in our grief, and let us know we are not alone during this terrible time. Tess would not have been surprised by this beautiful reminder of our shared humanity.
Mullins later issued a statement saying in part, "Nothing I said was intended to demean Ms. Majors' memory, nor besmirch her character. Ms. Majors is clearly a victim in every sense of the word."
He says he intended to comment "that non-enforcement of minor crimes in this City has contributed to an undisclosed rise in the rate of crime in many of the City's neighborhoods, Morningside Park included."
"As I thought was clear and obvious, in no way did I intend to suggest on any level that some type of blame toward Tessa Majors was warranted," Mullins went on to say.
