October 24, 2016

EDITORIAL: Answers Still Missing in Stabbing Investigation

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This Sunday marked the eighth week after the Aug. 28 stabbings of two Ithaca College students during a large fight near Olin Hall. One student, Anthony Nazaire was fatally stabbed, while the second student was also injured, but survived.

The Ithaca Police Department is conducting a homicide investigation of this incident, but nearly two months since the stabbing, no suspects have been publicly identified. IPD’s last public communication about the investigation occurred on Sept. 12, in a press release that solicited video evidence of the stabbing. In this same release, IPD states that it has obtained “crucial video evidence,” none of which has been released to the public. More than five weeks have passed since the last public update about the investigation. In correspondence with Sun reporters, IPD has repeatedly declined to provide further updates or to supply a timeline for the investigation.

A case of this magnitude requires thorough and methodical scrutiny, but the lack of public communication is concerning. The perpetrator remains at large, possibly in this very community. As long as the investigation continues without any publicly identified suspects, this case remains an unresolved safety issue. Both the public and the family and friends of Nazaire deserve closure, and assurances of increased safety on campus ring hollow when the police remain silent about the investigation’s progress. Just as the police have a responsibility to communicate with the community, the public must also contribute to securing a swift resolution to this investigation: anyone with videos of this incident has an obligation to submit the video evidence to IPD.

This is an investigation that absolutely cannot slip from the minds of this community. As the police grow quiet about the issue, the Ithaca and Cornell communities must continue to demand justice and closure.