Ellis Joyner is a gay Black standup comedian who was killed by Brandon Arnou.
History[]
Joyner was a Black standup comedian who was known for his public feuds and personal struggles in his life. At one point, he was punched by rival comedian Malcolm Paige for stealing his show. He was dating Michael Zane in private, since Joyner was afraid to come out of the closet despite Zane's encouragements.
After Paige attacked Joyner, Zane left Joyner behind on the subway with Arnou, a white supremacist, and a woman named Rebecca Lasky. Arnou killed Joyner with a chokehold, allegedly because he was trying to jump Lasky. However, Arnou held the chokehold for several more minutes than necessary, triggering Joyner's asthma. Joyner recorded his own death on his phone, but it fell to the ground with the lens on the floor, so only the audio of the killing was discernible. After Joyner died, Arnou stole his phone to delete the footage but was unsuccessful.
Arnou was found not guilty of second-degree murder at trial. (L&O: "Facade")