The body of Larry Ellison, a 68 year old resident of Wilton Manors, was found in his home by friends who wondered why he had not arrived for dinner with them. He had been murdered. The police and media reports are vague, but note that his car, a silver Infiniti FX35 with Illinois tag number LBE14, was stolen.
The real news quickly ran through the gay community. Larry Ellison met someone at the gay beach and brought him home.
I didn't know the victim, but he and some friends briefly intersected with me and mine at a local restaurant a few days before his death.
In somber discussion of this incident all over town, we are all reminding each other of the dangers of hooking up with strangers. The popularity of Manhunt and other cruising mechanisms lulls us into a false sense of safety, as if that virtual crowd of the like-minded is somehow with us even in the ensuing private moments. Someone mentioned today that he would never bring a stranger into his home, and that this unfortunate incident illustrates one strong advantage gained by going to bath houses and sex clubs. This I strongly seconded.
We live in a dangerous world of equally malevolent gods and monsters.
"Perge modo et qua te ducit via dirige gressum," said Venus to Aeneas.
8 comments:
All actions carry some element of risk. You could get killed driving down the highway. I always try to TALK to someone before I meet them to get a sense of their personality. Not all of us have the luxury of bathhouses.
I usually suspect that men who won't have their hook-ups in their homes are more concerned about their upholstery than their personal safety. It's impossible to know what happened in this instance, and maybe the lesson is that you shouldn't have a Lexus or a townhouse in Fort Lauderdale. Or, more likely, that you should be more careful about whom you bring home.
Drawing sweeping conclusions from a single incident is questionable at best. You'd need a lot of research to determine whether bathhouses or home hook-ups carry the greater risk. But people who are already disposed to prefer bathhouses will certainly use the incident as evidence that their proclivities are safer than others'.
I'm hesitant to agree with you on this, TED. I have neither fussy upholstery nor expensive car, but I won't bring home a stranger because no matter how savvy we think we are, we can each be deceived by a psychopath, especially one driven by the need for drug money. We do not yet know what really happened to Larry Ellison and I have not drawn "sweeping conclusions". I have simply summarized what is being said among the men of this town, and stated my own view which agrees with the premise that you shouldn't open your door/bed/body to total strangers.
dear father tony, it is my opinion that hook-up sites like craigslist and mandate are creepy. i have scored from both sites but for me alot like public bathroom sex; it's ok for a week but it gets tired really fast. when there's a property crime the victim is usually blamed particularly when old queens are involved. i am not a judge of others and know what works for me. a friend, kenneth love was killed when a trick knocked him out with a stone pineapple near the door of his apartment which dropped on his head.
hugs not drugs,
chubby hubby
ps. the mercedes parked on the street is 18 years old and the apartment is shabby chic. :-) but hey,
when u look like a drooling bulldog that bites nobody fucks with ya. haha
Father Tony, Your words of wisdom are correct. I hope this victims family and loved ones find peace. Bringing strangers into the house is never acceptable. Secondly even a past apparently "good" encounter can actually be a predators oportunity to gather intelligence, the the lay of the house before he returns with his accociates to commit a crime. Your readers should know that many hustlers still have "pimps" who often are hardcore criminals. They derive their income from not only prostitution but larceny and robbery. Hopefully, the detectives can find some tracks on his computer,phone, or witnesses to apprehend this criminal. I will not be surpised if they are other incidents,while this may be the first homicide, I doubt this is the firt crime committed by this thug. Additionally, the Boy George incident " rough sex" defense is frequently presented to taint the minds of the jury, many of who already harbor prejudice and pre-concived notions of deviate sex in the gay community. Really sad but important post.
I have always been wary of having anyone to my home that I do not know and trust. I have always been of a mind to hook up outside the home, in a safe place. This tragic news story further drives that point home to me, and reminds me that going to a stranger's home isn't a great idea either. I have never been a fan of online hook up sites, I have always opted for meeting people in person. I am surmising that Larry is from Chicago. Wonder if I knew him in passing. Hope everyone is careful out there.
Have any new developments been reported in this case?
I live about a block from Larry's Chicago home, and we up here are at a loss for information beyond what we saw a few days ago when we found out that he had been killed.
If there's more known now, we would appreciate hearing about it.
PYNE
ppyne1037@sbcglobal.net
This is so sad. I attended a few of Larry's annual New Year's Eve parties in the early 90's. i really didn't know him very well but since I met my best friend at one of those parties, I have always remembered him fondly.
Sorry about his passing and always keep you stranger hook-ups semi-public at the baths or something.
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