Pubdate: Fri, 08 Jun 2001
Source: New York Times (NY)
Copyright: 2001 The New York Times Company
Contact:  http://www.nytimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/298
Author: Susan Saulny

SEARCH FOR A MOTIVE IN A MYSTERIOUS KILLING

Wesley Hall, a longtime antidrug activist who, friends said, refused
to cede his crime-ridden neighborhood in Jersey City to pushers, was
on the phone in his bedroom Wednesday afternoon when someone entered
his apartment. He said, "Hold on," and put the phone down.

Exactly what happened in the next several minutes is unclear, but Mr.
Hall never picked up the phone again. He was shot several times, and
was left to die bleeding on his bed, the authorities said.

Whether Mr. Hall was killed for his antidrug activities or for some
other reason remained a mystery to investigators yesterday.

The person who was on the other end of the phone line told the police
that the sound of several rounds of gunfire interrupted a short
conversation with male voices. The authorities, who would not identify
the person on the phone, said an intruder used a pillow to muffle the
noise of the gunfire, and shot Mr. Hall at least once in the head at
close range.

When the police arrived at the second-floor apartment, the authorities
said, they found a trail of 10 vials of cocaine leading from the front
door to the bedroom. They also said there was no sign of forced entry
into the two-story gray stucco building.

Those details throw a spin on the already mysterious case that lends
itself to competing interpretations: was Mr. Hall the victim of a
retaliatory strike on the part of drug pushers in his area? Was he set
up - or was he one of them?

Concerning the drugs, Terrance Hull, an assistant Hudson County
prosecutor, said, "It's hard to explain how or why they were left.

"We're pursuing a number of leads at this time," he said, although he
would not comment on them. As for whether Mr. Hall was killed in
revenge, he said, "It's possible."

The authorities are waiting for an autopsy report to learn how many
times Mr. Hall was shot, but police officers found two .380-caliber
casings and the pillow they believe was used to muffle the gunfire.

Investigators spent last evening talking to neighbors and those
driving through the neighborhood, asking if they had any information,
but no arrests had been made as of last night, the police said.

Mr. Hall's father, who lives on the first floor of the two-family
house on Stevens Avenue, found his son lying face up on his bed, feet
on the floor, with the pillow next to his head.

"I found my son and it's a horrible picture I have in my mind when I
start to think about him," said the elder Mr. Hall, also named Wesley.
"My son who was murdered was a good kid."

Neighbors said Mr. Hall, 40, was the president of the Stevens Avenue
Block Association and lived with his 10-year-old son. They said he
devoted his efforts to trying to make streets in Greenville, an
impoverished part of the city, safe for children.

Friends and relatives said Mr. Hall used gentle persuasion to try to
influence drug dealers to change.

"He approached some people and told them there's a better way of life,
and that there's little kids here, and they shouldn't have to see this
and grow up with this," an aunt, LaVivian Reid, told The Associated
Press.

Councilwoman Melissa Holloway said she admired the work the victim had
done for the city. "You can't let people who want to tear down your
community win," she said.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Andrew