Born in 1938, Mrs. Harvey spent her youth in New York, the child of a single mother. Even as a teenager, she displayed a tendency to violence, especially against women, and had a complex gender identity. According to court records and parole records, Ms. Harvey was being treated at Catholic Charities, which pairs clergy and parishioners with troubled children, after attempting rape at the age of 14. .
As a young adult, Ms. Harvey – described then as a tall, slender man – lived with her mother and earned $75 a week operating a copy machine. She has a girlfriend, Jacqueline Bonds, but her life is chaotic: Miss Harvey regularly drinks alcohol, takes cocaine, regularly assaults Miss Bonds and has to go in and get psychiatric care.
In early 1963, Mrs. Harvey was again accused of rape, this time by a 24-year-old girl. (The charges were mentioned by a parole official in a hearing transcript, which did not provide further details.)
The charge caused a flurry of violence: In April of that year, Ms. Harvey killed Ms. Bonds, who had been scheduled before a grand jury to consider the case. Ms. Harvey shot into an empty space in their crowded Manhattan apartment, gave chase as she staggered through the kitchen and living room, and fired two more shots before she collapsed, according to the board’s minutes. treatment and police reports.
She was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.
During her two decades behind bars, she repeatedly appealed her convictions in federal and state courts and tried to convince the pardon board to release her. Skeptical officials since 1984 allege that she was aggressive with women. Even in prison, one person noted, Ms. Harvey sent inappropriate letters to hospital volunteers stripping candy.
“It was all in the past, and when I knew this pattern was creating, I cut it out,” Ms. Harvey said.
