Sunday night we found a witness that was present when Markey was picked up by an ambulance . We will call this witness , known to this writer as G . G also made the call to 911 to get medical care for Markey and another passed out Russian individual known as Igor . G felt that Igor was in worse condition than Markey , thus when Markey was actually taken away it was mistakenly assumed that he was Russian. Because of this there was some considerable confusion that made it much more difficult to correctly identify Markey . Markey was taken in at Beth Israel hospital as a "John Doe" . What follows is G's recounting of Markey's last afternoon on 7th street and his removal to Beth Israel Hospital by ambulance .
G , a friend and drinking buddy of Markey, was walking west on 7th street near 226 east 7th street with another drinking buddy when he noticed Markey . G and his associate had been to the "Cobra" store . This store, just a short distance away at the corner of 7th street and avenue C, has the best prices on the cheapest of malt liquors — King Cobra Malt Liquor . Cobra is the favorite of many, including Markey . Many of Markey's friends walk this stretch of 7th street to and from this store all day long .
It was the hottest day of the year , the temperature was well beyond 100 degrees . G noticed that Markey , surrounded by numerous empty Cobra cans , was motionless and that a white froth was seeping past his parted lips. On this hot afternoon Markey was supine and motionless where the man , probably Igor , is seen in the picture below , not where Markey's little memorial is seen today . G nudged his leg and Markey mumbled a bit . Having no cell phone, G asked a man from the church across the street to call for an ambulance because he feared that both Igor and Markey were in trouble , drunken sick in the heat on this hottest of days . Assuming that the ambulance would arrive G went on his way .
30 minutes later G again passed by Markey who, when he again nudged him, was utterly unresponsive . No call had been made . G found a phone and made a call to 911 himself and the ambulance arrived in 4 or 5 minutes . The medical technicians worked on Markey at the scene for a long time and then took him to Beth Israel . G insisted that they take his possessions . The ambulance crew refused to take Markey's possessions with him to the hospital . Markey's possessions amounted to a backpack with his few personal effects including, most importantly, his writings . These possessions were fortunately all gathered together and taken by a friend who happened by chance to walk by .
Nothing that G witnessed at the scene indicated to him that Markey had been beaten or in anyway abused by anyone . G's conclusion is consistent with that of Markey's family , NYPD and the attending doctors at Beth Israel . Markey died of a head injury received when he fell and struck his head earlier that hottest of days this July of 2010 .
Markey's family also passed along the link to an online guest book for friends to sign.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Markey Hayden Bena, 1956-2010
