brosch, are you still getting messages from here? Please read the new post from me on the boy found in Pershing Park.

Well, to start with, Harold's twin brother is Raymond (Ray) Kopf, not Richard. Even the Times gets it wrong sometimes. Richard is their older brother.
Harold did not go to the park; he was dumped there. The perpetrator was a "friend" of the family. I don't know if the man was arrested and convicted...it was a horrible time for Ray, and he's a little hazy on some details. He does remember being told that the guy had a bad accident, and died from his injuries. Ray always believed there was more to it than just an accident, but the only person who could have told him the truth about that died years ago.
I don't have many more details, other than yes, Harold was molested and then beaten to death. Nothing about any body part being cut off, although I have to admit, they might not have shared that information with Ray...he was only 11 years old at the time. Ray really doesn't like talking about it, as you can imagine. Harold was his identical twin, and he still feels the loss. Even though he is now 54, I still won't share that bit of information with him. He doesn't need to hear anything new about the incident - proven or unproven - that would just make it worse for him. Thankfully, he's pretty much a technical troglodite, so he asks me to look things up for him online. I won't be showing him this thread, although I will let him know Harold has not been forgotten.

Sept. 4, 1979The New York Times Archives
See the article in its original context from
September 4, 1979, Section C, Page 14Buy Reprints

Boy, 11, Killed in Jersey City Park
The body of an 11-year-old boy who had been stabbed repeatedly and clubbed on the head was found early Sunday behind a clump of bushes in Pershing Field, a park in Jersey City.

An autopsy conducted yesterday established stab wounds of the abdomen as the cause of death, according to the police, who said they had ?a couple of good leads? as to who had committed the crime.

The victim was Harold Kopf, who lived near the park, which on the north side of the Hudson County city. Detectives said they believed the boy had been killed not long before his body was discovered by a resident who was walking his dog at about 7 A.M.

Detective Vincent Bellucci of the Jersey City Police said he did not know why the boy had gone to the park or whether there was a single killer or a group of assailants. As of last night, the murder weapon had not been recovered.

Detective Bellucci said the victim was dressed in a polo shirt, pants, gym shorts, socks and sneakers. His body was found near some steps leading to tennis courts in Pershing Field, in the Jersey City Heights section.

The police said that young Kopf had a twin brother, Richard, and was the son of Edward and Gloria Kopf.

To speed the investigation, the Police Director of Jersey City, Michael Borseso, called in off?duty detectives on overtime.

I remember they boy. I believe his name was Harold. My sisters friend who lived with us at the time identified him. He used to come to our block and play with thee kids on the block . He and his twin brother, I can?t remember his brothers name. But I think I was about 12 at the time and It really affected me. There was another boy not long before that , that was murdered by his own mother that lived in an apartment building at 40 Booraem . These poor kids lives were cut short by evil
People. I?ll never forget these two murders from my childhood. My sisters friend for some reason had to identify Harold and she was so shook up after that. Said he was beaten beyond recognition . So sad .

i remember i knew the boy i was in the park the morning the person that was walking there dog found him the person that killed him was a friend of the family and had molested him cut a certain body part off and put it in his mouth and smashed his head into the side of the steps such a shame i dont know what made me think about it but i started searching and came across your post . i played softball and ice scaked and skateboarded in that park cut thur everyday to get to school i went to st nick's

Or brosjh since we are now in the 21st century you could go to the JCPL website http://www.jclibrary.org/
Click the link for QandA NJ (list on lower right hand side) and get a librarian to help you find it 24 hours a day-7days a week in one of the library's online databases http://www.jclibrary.org/resource/online.php
All you need is your library card number to access databases


Quote:

I'm a member of NY Times online, which is free, and was able to read the article in PDF.

Thank you much for the link!

Desperation must be setting in at the Times, $4 to view an article online? lol Thats not going to fly, the end is near for newpapers I fear. How will people wrap potato peelings, eat crawfish, cover a wetspot or line a birdcage anymore.

Anyone have the actual story? I guess I can phone the library but you know exactly what they'll say "you'll have to come in sir" lol They'll prob want .05 cents or something trivial.

The biggest loser... The New York Times... those clowns think people are going pay for web articles? Wonder if they're chasing people down for copyright infringements yet? I guess lawyers have to eat too or they'll die or something. boohoo

"You haven't paid for that text, how dare you post our words on your webpage!!!!"


LOL thanks again!!!

Articles please?

call the research desk of the NJ room at the main branch of the library. they'll set you up.

When I was a kiddie in the mid-70s, some detectives came around, showing a pic a horribly beaten boy (about 10 years old). The kid - a twin - was found beaten to death - the night before - in Pershing Field. I've not been able to find anything on the web about this killing, it has recently come back to mind.

I tried doing some lite Google for details. No luck.

Does anyone remember this? The kid wound up being identified by a girl in the neighborhood (at that point we all knew who he was). That's all I can recall. I don't remember there being much talk about it afterwards, at least not from my parents and not in my presence.