Fitzpatrick Drug Death
The Fitzpatrick Drug Death refers to the tragic and violent end of Linda Rae Fitzpatrick, an eighteen-year-old who embraced the countercultural lifestyle of the 1960s in New York City. After moving to Manhattan's East Village, she became involved with drugs and free-spirited living, ultimately leading to a harrowing incident on October 7, 1967. Alongside James Leroy Hutchinson, she was attacked in a tenement basement, where they were confronted by multiple assailants. The situation escalated into a brutal assault, resulting in both Fitzpatrick and Hutchinson's deaths, with Fitzpatrick being raped and ultimately murdered.
The brutality of this crime shocked the nation and highlighted the darker realities faced by individuals immersed in the counterculture movement. The media coverage surrounding Fitzpatrick's death served not only to raise awareness about the dangers of such lifestyles but also to reflect societal concerns about violence and safety during that era. J. Anthony Lukas's subsequent Pulitzer Prize-winning work on Fitzpatrick's life further examined the stark contrasts of her final months, contributing to ongoing discussions about youth culture, violence, and the evolving societal landscape of the time. This case remains a poignant reminder of the complexities and challenges faced by young people seeking freedom in a tumultuous period.
Fitzpatrick Drug Death
Date: October 7-8, 1967
A violent homicide that contrasted the ideals of the flower children with the reality of urban life. The death attracted national attention and signaled an end to the innocence of the 1960’s.
Origins and History
Linda Rae Fitzpatrick, the eighteen-year-old daughter of a Greenwich, Connecticut, spice merchant, dropped out of the exclusive Oldfields School to paint and live in lower Manhattan’s East Village. After moving to a hotel on Labor Day, 1967, Fitzpatrick lived the life of a flower child, samplingfree love and drugs. On Saturday evening, October 7, she and James Leroy Hutchinson, a twenty-one-year-old drifter known as Groovy, went to the basement of a tenement at 169 Avenue B, where both “dropped speed” (took amphetamines), unaware that three or four men were lurking in the shadows of the dark room. The men demanded to have sexual relations with Fitzpatrick. Hutchinson attempted to defend her but was struck in the face repeatedly with a brick from the boiler wall. Then Fitzpatrick was raped four times before her skull was crushed. The two nude bodies were discovered on Sunday morning, October 8. A New York City police officer described the crime as “one of the most horrible homicides we have ever seen.”
Impact
The violence of Fitzpatrick’s death, combined with the extensive media attention it attracted, sent shock waves across the country. It showed the dark side of hippie life and the dangers that went with it.
Additional Information
J. Anthony Lukas reported on Fitzpatrick’s life and the contrasts of her last four months in his work, The Two Worlds of Linda Fitzpatrick (1967), for which he won a Pulitzer Prize.