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Criminal Justice

Reports: Murdered NYC Lawyer Victim of Jealous Stalker

Posted Dec 4, 2008 10:34 AM CST
By Molly McDonough

Anthony Ottaviano, a staff attorney at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, was shot and killed Monday in what authorities and news accounts describe as jealousy-infused ordeal involving the world of S&M fetish circles.

Police say Ottaviano was shot by West Chester man David P. Krieg, who then kidnapped Ottaviano's girlfriend, a purported 27-year-old dominatrix from Philadelphia.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that authorities believe Krieg followed the couple into an apartment parking garage, shot Ottaviano in the chest, then abducted his companion. Krieg had reportedly been stalking the woman, who Ottaviano had encouraged to get a restraining order.

The paper reports that Krieg, who maintained a MySpace page detailing his interests in latex, leather, tattoos and violent music, later shot himself to death after a nine-hour standoff with police.

Madelaine Miller, a Paul Weiss spokeswoman, confirmed to the Philly paper that Ottaviano started working for the firm on Sept. 11, 2006, and that he was a 1997 New York Law School graduate who worked on law review.

Jack Baughman, a partner at Paul Weiss, is quoted as describing Ottaviano as "caring, honest and hardworking."

"It's a terrible tragedy," Baughman told the New York Post, which carried a more sensational account of the murder, kidnapping and suicide.

Comments

1.

Sizzlechest McGillicutty
Dec 5, 2008 7:26 AM CST

What’s with the weird sex freak murders in the legal world? I seem to remember a Cravath partner getting Aced in a crappy motel in Brooklyn about 10-12 years ago by some crackhead. As a 3L entering the abysmal legal market from a not-so-great law school, I have to wonder- if these are the violent deaths the await the Legal Elite, what horrible end is in store for the rest of us peasants?????

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2.

Anon
Dec 5, 2008 7:39 AM CST

Jack Baughman, a partner at Paul Weiss, is quoted as describing Ottaviano as “caring, honest and hardworking.”

No mention of this on PW’s website, not a trace of this person in their contacts or news page.  Usually a law firm has the decency to respect someone who passes away with a little memorial to them.  Instead, this firm finds it easier to delete their records and pretend they were never apart of them.

Perhaps it was because he was a staff attorney and not really someone who deserved any real attention to firm wide employees.  Maybe I’m even out of line to expect them to show compassion, but I am glad I don’t work for these guys…..

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3.

Smith
Dec 5, 2008 8:04 AM CST

Uhh ... “a purported 27-year-old dominatrix from Philadelphia” ... Is she really 27 or not? I think you should make that “a 27-year-old purported dominatrix….”

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4.

Chris H.
Dec 5, 2008 8:25 AM CST

This is crazy! Especially when you find out the 27-year-old dominatrix was in your graduating class in high school! She grew up in Oyster Bay, Long Island, and she IS 27.

You can read all about it on the New York Daily News, or the New York Post websites.

She is a genius. Recently dropped out of a Ph. D Engineering program at U. Penn. Poor decision making doesn’t discriminate on intelligence I guess.

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5.

Smith
Dec 5, 2008 8:33 AM CST

Not exactly my point, Chris, but thanks for sharing.

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6.

Michael Levitz
Dec 5, 2008 8:53 AM CST

Is this the ABA Journal?  This piece reminds me of those publications that I would not dignify with the term “newspapers,” which I see at grocery store checkout lines.

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7.

Sally
Dec 5, 2008 8:55 AM CST

My safe word is “Don’t shoot”

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8.

H.P.
Dec 5, 2008 8:56 AM CST

#1: not to mention the binding, drugging, sexual assault, and murder of attorney David Wone in Washington DC.  The police are still trying to solve this classic “locked room” mystery, but no one who was in the house is talking…

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9.

Anonymous
Dec 5, 2008 9:08 AM CST

In response to the comment that Paul Weiss “finds it easier to delete their records and pretend they were never apart of them”, I wish people would get their facts straight before pointing their fingers.  I am a staff attorney here at PW and although you are correct in that our names are not on the firm’s website, we are listed on the internal contacts page.  The firm did send out a very nice internal email announcing the “tragic death of a dear friend and colleague” and have offered support services for those in need of it.  Nothing else matters - not Anthony’s private life or his personal business which the Post seems to want to harp on and take away from the fact that this guy was really a nice, unassuming and extremely hardworking guy! 

Also, PW is a great place to work.  Everyone is very friendly and respectful of one another.  The staff attorneys enjoy almost equal benefits as the associates.  I am proud to be part of this firm and I hope to be here for a long while!

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10.

J.F.
Dec 5, 2008 9:17 AM CST

... he was a 1997 New York Law School graduate who worked on law review.

Being on law review is an honor, but I would hope my employer would have something positive to say about me beyond mustering up an 11-year-old accolade.

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11.

Valerie Dunbar Jones
Dec 5, 2008 9:34 AM CST

I’m sure PW is a glorious employer.  Assuming a young man’s brutal and horrific death can be appropriately addressed with a single, tastefully worded email.  But kids, let’s re-examine our lives a little if we really aspire to have the totality of our being summed up as “hardworking.”  All this says to me is that Braughman is callilng for another hardworking someone to pick up the hours.

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12.

JD
Dec 5, 2008 9:34 AM CST

Well said, No. 9.  Your kind comments regarding Anthony are a very nice tribute to your colleague. 
All the Best to Anthony’s Family, friends and co-workers now grieving his tragic death.
As for those above who jumped to conclusions without first marshalling all of the facts, have you learned nothing from the practice of law ?

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13.

kath
Dec 5, 2008 9:35 AM CST

Sizzlechest,

What a self-centered drama queen response to someone else’s tragedy.  It’s not about you!

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14.

Chris H.
Dec 5, 2008 10:07 AM CST

Like usual, such bold statements made under the guise of “anonymous.” Gotta love the Internet.

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15.

Law Boy
Dec 5, 2008 10:24 AM CST

What exactly is PW’s hiring criteria?  Sex feaks… check!  One only needs to look at PW alumus ex-gov. Eliot “I pay for my domination sessions with my family checking account” Spitzer.  On a positive note, at least Ottaviano seems to be honest and harmless.

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16.

Law Boy
Dec 5, 2008 10:42 AM CST

It really is a shame that PW didn’t post a small tribute on its site for Ottaviano, like any other firm would do.  Now, they’re getting thousands of hits a day from people looking for his profile or a blurb to know more about him, who will then think that the firm is at worse, crass, and at best, uncaring.  It really comes across as bad PR.  I hope they change their minds and put something up by the end of today.

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17.

enwesson
Dec 5, 2008 11:39 AM CST

Smith (#5), your comment made my day! Cheers

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18.

Frank J
Dec 5, 2008 5:32 PM CST

The postings that touch on Big Law practice on this site echo a theme from classic love stories.  The posters, on the whole, are like the girl from the “wrong” side of town, who never feel she was good enough for the posh boys, who ignited her hope with their curious and infrequent stares.  She tells herself she hates their world, yet seeks affirmation from it and them.  The story ends with her hating him, and the world that created her and him escapes scrutiny.  Thus, she, like him, ratifies that world.  Paul Weiss is merely the symptom.

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19.

Regal Legal Eagle
Dec 5, 2008 5:39 PM CST

Some of those commenting seem to have a “‘thing” about large law firms that this gives them an opportunity to vent. The victim worked at PW. Otherwise there is no known connection between that firm and the terrible crime committed. The firm expressed regret, but didn’t wallow in its tenuous connection to the news story. Why do people think they should?

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20.

Law Boy
Dec 5, 2008 8:40 PM CST

10 to 1 odds says that Baughman didn’t know who leather boy Ottaviano was until after his death.  That’s how it goes with staff attorneys.  The associates think they’re the shiznitt and tell you that your “privileged document” skills are lacking, even though they don’t have a clue.  The partners, well, they’re irked because they need to pay your placement agency your benefits, which then cuts into their bonuses.  So, yeah, I’d really be surprised if PW really “knew” Ottaviano aside from passing him in the hallway onto his way to the documents review dungeon.  In any case, they still owe the public an explanation as to why they have a propensity to hire sexual deviants (Spitzer, Ottaviano, etc.?)

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21.

Drew L
Dec 6, 2008 7:19 PM CST

Law Boy, whatever happened behind closed door, between two consenting adults is none of yours or PW’s business.  Whatever public explanation you are dreaming up is pure nonsense.  If you don’t like who PW hires, you don’t have to hire them to defend your case.  Even PW said Ottaviano was an honest and hard-working individual.  Beyond that, what happens in someone’s bedroom should remain private.  Bottom line, you have issues with other people’s sex act, but that is none of your business.

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22.

rocket
Dec 6, 2008 7:49 PM CST

John David R. Atchison, 53, an assistant U.S. Attorney from the Northern District of Florida, was arraigned in U.S. District Court in Detroit Sep 18, 2007on suspicion of flying to metropolitan Detroit with the intention of having sex with a 5-year-old girl. John David Roy Atchison was arrested in an undercover Internet sex sting, the Detroit Free Press reports.  Them lawyers are a freaky bunch, even lovin’ babies!

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23.

LawBoy
Dec 7, 2008 9:35 AM CST

Drew L, I’m not saying that PW should come out and tell the world that it is apologetic for hiring border-tranny leather freaks (Ottaviano) and adulterous scumbags (Spitzer), but it should have some boilerplate mumbo-jumbo on its home page where it gives its condolences to his family and the “by the book” quote from Baughman.  Any respect that someone would have for PW should have disappeared not by virtue of these freaky attorneys they harbor, but by the fact that they don’t acknowledge this tragedy on their web page, like every other normal firm would.

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24.

Jim V
Dec 8, 2008 2:48 PM CST

#7 - that comment is hilarious.  A little tacky . . but hilarious.  I wish I’d said it.

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25.

B. McLeod
Dec 9, 2008 12:28 AM CST

Oh, you will.

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26.

sidren55
Dec 10, 2008 3:41 AM CST

Concurring with No. 6.  Why is the ABA Journal posting &*!% like this?  I guess I don’t have to renew my subscription to “The Enquirer” after all.

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