"They Cut My Finger Off. Please Help Me." The Heartbreaking Kidnapping And Murder of Donnell Porter
In December 1989, 12-year-old Donnell Porter was abducted while on his way to school. He would tragically become a casualty of greed and envy
Background
On Thursday, January 4, 1990, the Porter family received heartbreaking news as NYPD detectives arrived at the family’s home on 132nd Street in Harlem and informed 44-year-old Velma Porter that her son had been found murdered.
As devastating as the news was, it was not entirely unexpected. As much as the family had been praying this day wouldn’t happen, they had been quietly bracing themselves for the worst.
Nearly a month prior, on December 4, 1989, 12-year-old William Porter known by the family as Donnell, had been kidnapped as he walked to his 6th-grade class at PS 92 on W. 134th Street, just blocks from the family’s home.
However, it was soon clarified that the body that was found was not Donnell’s but rather his older brother, 25-year-old Richard Porter. Naturally, the family was devastated. They had lost a beloved son and brother and still had no idea where Donnell was and if he was still alive.
The Abduction
On the morning of December 5, 1989, as Donnell Porter made the short walk from his home to his school at PS 92, he was abducted.
The family first became concerned when by 4 o’clock that afternoon, Donnell had still not returned home from school. His mother Velma then went to Donnell’s school where she was informed that he never arrived that morning.
About an hour later, the family receives a call from Donnell, who through his tears, informs his mother that he’s been kidnapped.
Several hours later, at around 9 p.m., a man calls the Porter home and warns the family not to contact the police. However, he does not give them any further information or make any demands.
About four hours later, around 1 a.m., the same man called back and demanded a $500,000 ransom for Donnell’s safe return. Later that morning, around 3 a.m., the man called back to see if the family had come up with the money.
To most people, it would seem insane to expect a blue-collar Harlem family to be able to raise that kind of money. However, by the time Donnell was abducted, it was well-known in Harlem, and other parts of the city that Rich Porter was a major drug trafficker.
Known for his well-groomed appearance, fresh clothes, and flashy cars, Rich was a neighborhood superstar and was undoubtedly the target of a lot of envy.
Those within the Porter family and many in the neighborhood speculated that the kidnappers were using Donnell as a way to extort money from Rich. They believed the kidnappers likely knew the family and were aware of Rich’s activities and the amounts of money he was bringing in on a weekly basis.
At 3 p.m. on the afternoon of December 6, the man called the Porter home once again. This time he spoke to Rich. After further discussion, the man lowered the ransom to $350,000.
Horrifying Discovery
The man later called back and told the family to go to the McDonalds on 125th Street and Broadway and look under the sink.
A family friend then did as the caller instructed and made a horrifying discovery. Underneath the sink in a coffee can was Donnell’s severed right index finger as well as two of his rings and a cassette tape.
When the family played the tape, they were met with the heartbreaking sound of Donnell pleading with his family to get the money.
He can be heard saying, “They cutted my finger off. Please help me. They said if you don’t do as they say, they are going to cut my hand off. Please help. Get the money. I love you, Mommy. Tell Pat I love her.”
According to Donnell’s older sister Pat, it was at this point that she took the contents of the coffee can to the police and informed them of Donnell’s kidnapping. Prior to this, the family had heeded the caller’s instructions not to involve the police.
But once the kidnappers had demonstrated their willingness to harm Donnell, Pat did what she thought was best for her brother’s safety.
The final call that the family received from the kidnappers was around 9 p.m. on the night of December 6. The caller again demanded $350,000. Rich attempted to negotiate the amount down to $200,000 which he claimed was an attempt to buy some more time.
Final Contact
The last contact that the Porter family would have with the kidnappers occurred four days later when a woman in the Bronx handed a child a note and instructed him to give it to Donnell’s aunt, who lived close by.
The note read: “We still want the money. The child is in pain and needs medical attention.” Donnell’s aunt then gave the note to the rest of the family. They then turned the note over to the police.
After that, there was no more contact with the kidnappers.
More Tragedy
In the days after the kidnapping, Rich was attempting to pull the ransom money together. He caught a big break when his supplier, a man called “Fritz” gave him 30 kilos of cocaine in order to get the money.
Unfortunately, when Rich’s “friend” Alpo Martinez learned that Rich had been fronted 30 kilos of cocaine, he began to plot his murder.
Porter met with Martinez and an associate on the night of January 3, 1990. During this meeting, Rich was shot in the head and chest. His body was found the following day on January 4, dumped near Orchard Park in the Bronx.
Worst Fears Realized
As the Porter family processed the grief of Rich’s murder, they also faced the grim reality that without him, there was little to no chance that they would be able to come up with the money.
Also, when the news reached the kidnappers, there was a likelihood that the family would never get Donnell back.
Then on January 28, 1990, the Porter family’s worst fears were realized when a man collecting cans near a bicycle path just north of City Island in the Bronx made a chilling discovery.
A body stuffed inside several trash bags was lying just off the bike path. The body was identified as William Donnell Porter. It was later determined that he had died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head.
Sadly, the area where Donnell’s body was discovered was only about a mile from where Rich’s body had been found nearly four weeks earlier.
Suspects
In the initial investigation, the police focused their attention on those involved in the drug trade. Perhaps someone that Rich had crossed or owed money to.
Because of the timeframe and the close proximity of both bodies being discovered, investigators believed the crimes were connected.
One of the suspects that the police looked at was a man named Clarence “Preacher” Heatley. He was a notorious and feared figure in Harlem who ran a crew of gangsters called the “Preacher Crew.” They were known to extort local drug dealers and were quite adept at torture and murder.
It would later come to light that some members of the Preacher Crew were involved in the kidnapping and murder of Donnell.
However, the most shocking and sickening revelation would be that the man who orchestrated the kidnapping was none other than John “Apple” Porter, Donnell and Rich’s maternal uncle.
John was a low-level associate of the Preacher Crew and was also reputed to be a junkie. His resentment and jealousy at Rich’s success had led him to harm his own family.
John Porter would end up serving about 20 years in prison on another case and was reportedly released in 2018.
Closing Thoughts
The tragic tale of William Donnell Porter is a grim reminder of the perils that accompany a criminal lifestyle. Donnell was an innocent child who was targeted simply because of who his brother was.
Sources:
O’Shaughnessy, Patrice. “2 eyed in mutilate-kidnap.” Daily News, 9 March 1990, p. 291, https://www.newspapers.com/image/467611299/?terms=Richard%20Porter&match=1
Peters, James & Marques, Stuart. “Kidnappers maim boy.” Daily News, 5 January 1990, p. 5, https://www.newspapers.com/image/407169387/?terms=Donnell%20Porter&match=1
Giordano, Rita. “Weeks later, sister goes to morgue.” 30 January 1990, Newsday, p. 3, https://www.newspapers.com/image/705612211/?terms=Donnell%20Porter&match=1
Wright, Chapin & Gambardello, Joseph. “Ransom was demanded with finger.” 30 January 1990, Newsday, p. 3, https://www.newspapers.com/image/705612211/?terms=Donnell%20Porter&match=1