In today's chapter, we dive into the murder of a woman that history seems to have forgotten. Not anymore. In December of 1969, Bani Yelverton, a young Black woman with a promising future in modeling, was found murdered in her friend's New York apartment under circumstances that baffled investigators. With no sign of forced entry, few concrete leads, and a city gripped by upheaval, the case soon went cold. Who wanted Bani dead—and why? 


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Bani Autopsy: Sex Assault. (1970, January 9). The Daily News, 54.Cafe Owner is Charged in Model’s Death. (1970, January 18). Daily News, 38.Company, L. T. (2023, December 17). “We’re now part of his flock”: Father Divine - Lantern Theater Company: Searchlight - Medium. Medium. https://medium.com/lantern-theater-company-searchlight/were-now-part-of-his-flock-father-divine-69bb65cb981eJohnson V. City of New York. (1975). In Case Text (No. 71 Civ. 763.). United States District Court. https://casetext.com/case/johnson-v-city-of-new-york-2/Nab Cafe Man in Model’s Killing. (1970, January 18). The Daily News, 4.Papers of Ophelia DeVore, “black is beautiful” pioneer, come to Emory | Emory University | Atlanta GA. (n.d.). Emory University. https://news.emory.edu/stories/2013/05/upress_ophelia_deVore_papers/index.htmlSepia Model Murder, 1969: The Slaying of Bani Yelverton. (2024, July 17). CrimeReads. https://crimereads.com/sepia-model-murder-1969-the-slaying-of-bani-yelverton/Village Restauranteur Arraigned. (1970, January 18). The Sunday Record, 3-A.Woman Murdered in Greenwich Village. (1970, January 9). The Buffalo News, 61.


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