Murder? What murder?

Yes, there was one: Some may wonder why we didn't jump all over the murder at the Canal Street Hotel earlier this week.

If we consider NOcrimeline's mission as alerting residents of the 8th District to crime so they can take precautions against becoming victims, we figured the Canal Street Hotel as a place where our subscribers wouldn't be caught dead. Unless, of course, you went there to score drugs or pick up a hooker--and in our demographic view, that eliminates most of you.

You could almost see this tragedy coming. When I started to compile a list of police reports of crimes from the 1630 Canal St. address of the hotel, it became so voluminous I abandoned the project. Every time I read a report about a crime in "the 1600 block of Canal," I said "I'll bet it was the no-tell hotel"--and was universally right. The place is tantamount to the Iberville Housing Project--with neon.

When comments on TripAdvisor list it as "terrible" 65 out of 78 times, you get the idea. Expedia advertised it at "$38 a night"--those are flophouse rates. Many visitors talked about bums sleeping in the hallways, drug dealers roaming at will, hookers hanging around outside the entrance on Canal Street.

Forget the talk about the hotel being in violation of city codes. Management of this place allowed the illegal behavior to take place right under their noses. Supposedly the hotel had been ordered not to rent any rooms above the bottom 2 floors because of fire safety concerns. But the guy who was arrested for the homicide was staying in a room on the 4th floor where the murder occurred--and wasn't a registered guest.

Considering the dude who allegedly shot the 20-year-old black Algiers girl after reportedly shouting at her repeatedly "Where are the other girls?," it's easy to speculate he was pimping prostitutes out of the place, putting the "ho" in hotel.

A relentless investigation by the NOPD after Kenyra Johnson was shot in the abdomen during an argument at the hotel Tuesday night (6.30.09) and died at the hospital, led to the arrest Friday (7.3.09) of Troy Gloston-Phelps, 21. Gloston, who could have been nailed by the police any time before the shooting on a slew of outstanding warrants, was booked with 2nd-degree murder. He's being held in OPP on $500,000 bond.

Another bar robbery: After the robberies of Donna's on N. Rampart Street on 6.25.09 and Pal's in Mid-City on 6.27.09 where a patron was shot, a brazen robber knocked over The John bar at Burgundy and Frenchmen streets on Monday (6.29.09).

A black dude entered the bar at 1:20 p.m. and ordered a drink. Then he pulled a gun and demanded the money from the video poker machines before locking the 62-year-old female bartender in a supply closet and cleaning out the cash from the register.

He was described as in his mid 20's, 5'8" tall, weighing 180 pounds, clean shaven, wearing a black T-shirt and blue jeans.

Bad neighborhoods: Any one with a lick of sense would know that these are not nice places to be in the early morning hours, but they ventured forth and were robbed there. If they are locals, they should know better; if they were tourists, somebody needs to tell them the French Quarter is not all fun and games:

• Wednesday (7.1.09): A 27-year-old white woman walking in the 1000 block of Iberville Street (between Burgundy and N. Rampart streets) at 12:45 a.m. was robbed by gun-toting black dude who took her money and then fled in a dark red 4-door sedan which sped off on Burgundy toward Esplanade Avenue.

He was described as 20 to 24 years old, 5'9" tall, weighing 160 pounds, with shoulder-length dreadlocks, wearing a long white T-shirt and blue jean shorts.

• Friday (7.3.09): A white guy standing near N. Rampart and St. Louis streets at 1:15 a.m. was approached by 4 black thugs. One asked his for a cigarette and when the victim reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes and some cash, he grabbed the money and fled with his rat pack.

8th District officers later nabbed 2 of them: Charles Roy (right), 20, and Nicholas Duplessis (left), 23. They were each charged with simple robbery and placed under a $15,000 bond to get out of OPP.

• Friday (7.3.09): A white woman who was near Bourbon and St. Louis streets at 3:45 a.m. was approached by a black guy who said he had a gun and demanded her money.

She refused and flagged down a cop who pursued the thug up Bourbon toward Canal Street and arrested Rakeem Holmes, 20.

On top of attempted armed robbery, he was also charged with possession of marijuana and crack cocaine. He is being held on $80,500 bond in OPP.

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As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome at NOcrimeline@gmail.com

Thom Kahler