Daniel Rakowitz moved to lower-security psychiatric wing

Daniel Rakowitz, the man known as the ‘Butcher of Tompkins Square Park,’ has been moved to a lower-security wing of the Manhattan Psychiatric Center on Wards Island. The 65-year-old Rakowitz was found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity in 1991 following the 1989 killing of his roommate, Monika Beerle.

Rakowitz gained notoriety for dismembering Beerle and allegedly feeding parts of her remains to homeless individuals in Tompkins Square Park. Since his 1991 verdict, he has been held at the Kirby Forensic Psychiatric Center.

A source indicates that Rakowitz was quietly transferred to the more modern, civilian side of the psychiatric complex approximately two years ago. This move places him in a less secure environment, a common step for the 99% of patients who are eventually released. Some hospital employees have reportedly expressed alarm regarding the transfer and the reduced security surrounding him.