Rorschach: Murder at City Hall trailer is a story of double lives and fatal ambition that results in the murder of City Councilman James E. Davis by his political opponent, Niel Askew. And the battle that still rages over what really motivated this shocking crime in the first place.
In the 20 years since these events took place, a lot has changed. In 2003, there was a desire to tell a simple story with a clear hero and a villain — it served the interest of the family, the political establishment, and the police. This version of the story glossed over the complexities of both men, of their relationship and of the nature of the crime itself. Lost in this story is the messier truth. Today, we’re ready to explore the moral grey areas, to center stories around people of color, and grapple with everything from mental health and gun violence, to sexuality in public life. In revisiting this story in 2025, we can reclaim the humanity of both Niel Askew and James E. Davis, and elevate this story above the tabloid version of its original telling.

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July 23rd, 2003. Brooklyn City Councilman James E. Davis arrives at City Hall with a guest, Niel Askew. Both men are Black, handsome and wearing a suit. And both are carrying concealed weapons. Niel Askew had been running against James Davis in the upcoming election, but the men seem to have cut some kind of deal for Niel to drop out of the race. But in less than 30 minutes, both of them will be dead.

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The city is shut down. A cop – serving his first day on the security detail – acts heroically. Word spreads to Councilman Davis’s disbelieving family, and emotions run high.

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