New York Post Jan 12th , 2004

01/12/2004/NYPOST
BANKER SLAY UNSOLVED ONE YEAR LATER
By ANDY GELLER and LARRY CELONA
Cops are asking for the public's help in finding the killer of a young banker who was shot to death a year ago today during a robbery attempt outside a Lower East Side apartment building.
The NYPD has rereleased a sketch of the suspect in the senseless slaying of Burke O'Brien, 25, and is reminding the public that a $30,000 reward is being offered.
The shooter is described as a light-skinned black or Hispanic man about 22 to 26 years old who is 5-foot-11, weighs 175 pounds and was wearing a red jacket and blue jeans.
O'Brien was shot in the chest and killed at 4 a.m. after he and his former college roommate, Forrest Bloede, 24, returned to Bloede's building at 75-79 Orchard St. after a night of clubbing.
Bloede told cops he and O'Brien were returning home after hitting an ATM when they were accosted by two robbers.
Bloede said he gave the men $12, but O'Brien took off his coat and it appeared he wanted to fight. One of the thugs shot him in the chest.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS or the Seventh Precinct detective squad at (212) 477-7671. The Crime Stoppers van will be outside the building between 8 a.m. and noon today.
Additional reporting by Tatiana Deligiannakis

By LARRY CELONA
The only witness to the January slaying of a would-be banker on the Lower East Side has supplied cops with enough information to produce a sketch of the shooter, sources have told The Post.
Forrest Bloede, 24 - who cops initially charged in the killing - had declined to speak with investigators for more than three months, relenting only after the victim's family pilloried him for not cooperating.
Bloede spoke to detectives last week and again Monday, giving a physical description of the shooter and an accomplice, but refused to answer questions on the advice of his lawyer, investigators said.
"Whoever told you that is damned liar," said Glenn Wolther, Bloede's lawyer. "Forrest Bloede has been fully cooperating with all requests from both the district attorney's office and the NYPD."
Bloede initially said he and Burke O'Brien, 25, were walking home to O'Brien's Orchard Street apartment in the early morning of Jan. 12 when they were confronted by two robbers, one of whom fatally shot O'Brien.
Bloede was arrested and charged with the murder of his Colorado State University fraternity brother, but was released 12 hours later.
Police said Bloede's jacket bore gunpowder residue, but not enough for him to have fired the shot.
Nor was a credible motive established for Bloede to have shot his buddy, cops said at the time.
A woman who heard the shot said she didn't hear anyone arguing or running away from the scene.

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