Suspect Confesses to Murder of Times Reporter Under Bizarre Circumstances

I noticed this in the news this morning, thought some people might be interested.

Link

A man was arrested Thursday night in the fatal assault on David E. Rosenbaum, a retired reporter for The New York Times, and was charged with felony murder, the police said.

District of Columbia detectives said the man, Michael Hamlin, 23, a maintenance worker from southeast Washington, had seen himself on an evening news report that broadcast surveillance photographs of him the police released in late afternoon. The photographs showed a man using Mr. Rosenbaum's credit cards at a gas station and an auto parts store.

Detective Anthony Paci, the lead detective in the case, said Mr. Hamlin had walked into the Seventh District Police station in southeast and said he "wanted to know why my face is in the news."

(My emphasis)

Does that seem a little strange to anyone else? First time I read this, I figured the guy is either a complete idiot, or the guy didn't commit the crime. He confessed not long after police took him into custody, but this article makes it sound as though he wandered in to the station wondering what all the fuss was about. Not exactly the behavior you would expect from a guilty man.

Imagine you just saw your face on television, something about a person of interest in a criminal investigation. What's your immediate reaction if you'r innocent? Might be to go in and ask what's going on, thinking you were an unwitting witness or something.

Maybe he was making some lame stab at an insanity defense? I suppose that's possible. Maybe the defendant will claim he's actually two different people or something.

I just don't know. Any thoughts? Anyone know anything about Rosenbaum's career, can he claim any significant journalistic/editorial achievements (of the enemy producing variety)? I'm probably overthinking this one quite a bit, but the circumstances surrounding the confession really got my attention.

Thanks for posting this. I had been watching the reports on his killing.

I find it strange enough for a New York Times editor/reporter to be stationed at the Washington DC office for 30 + years. But to be considered a master in economic and budget policymaking, and excel in explaining the fine print in congressional bills. What a man!

I find it even stranger that he retires and is murdered a few days later, in a neighbor hood with almost no crime. And there is not "much ado" about it.

I wanted to know what he was working; on since every retired person I know works more than anyone on the planet. That was the first thing that went thru my head. I want his killer caught and punished, and my heart goes out to his family, of course. But I want to know what he was digging into.

So I have been looking around hoping to find his last few articles. I thought it may shed some light on what he was into lately. Unforturnatly, I have not had much luck.

Today I found this link on the NTY search, that lists his articles, but you have to be a subscriber to view them.

Judging by the above link, it looks like his last article just before he did was: DOMESTIC SURVEILLANCE: THE NOMINATION; Alito Memo in '84 Favored Immunity for Top Officials.

Now his killer walks in off the street because he "saw himself" on TV.
I....,I just don't know what to make of it.