Malik "King" Harris was a low-level music producer and serial rapist and killer of Black women and girls in major U.S. cities.
History[]
Malik gained a reputation of acting bigger than he is and seducing women in his line of work to build up his felling of power. Malik would also find girls to get alone with ruses and beat, rape, and at worst kill or his liking, starting in his familiar grounds in Harlem. While living with his sister in Detroit, Malik went on another murder and rape spree, until he was struck by a car in 1994 and suffered broken legs, forcing him to stop and recover for three years.
Malik returned to New York and began raping and killing more girls. A recently released sex offender named Leon Tate was at first suspected, but after one girl was determined to have been killed after Leon died from a drug overdose, the detectives began to suspect him after he'd been seen with one of the girls that was killed. He claimed to have been with his girlfriend the time of the killing, but his misogynistic attitude made them suspicious.
Since they didn't have enough to arrest him for the murders, Detective Tutuola instead arranged for him to be arrested for drug possession. They then tried to collect a sample of his DNA, but Malik claimed to be a Jehovah's Witness, so legally, they couldn't. During his arraignment for the drug possession, ADA Cabot tried to have him remanded, but to no avail.
He was arrested again after a fight with Rodney Thompson, the brother of one of his victims. Malik had bit his arm, which allowed the detectives to acquire his DNA via saliva. He and his attorney claimed entrapment, but ADA Cabot denied this before Detective Stabler revealed his DNA was matched to the Detroit murders. Harris realizing he was finished, asked for a deal, only to be told by Fin that the only deal he'd be getting is a free last meal. King was executed in prison for the New York murders. (SVU: "Rooftop")
Known Victims[]
- New York City, New York:
- 1993:
- Vanessa Hiltz (kidnapped and raped; was released)
- Two unnamed girls (raped and murdered)
- 1994: Unnamed girl (raped and murdered)
- 1993:
- 1997-2000, Detroit, Michigan:
- Four unnamed girls (raped and murdered)
- Five unnamed girls (raped)
- 2001, New York City, New York:
- March 20: Shareen White (beaten and raped)
- March 21: Aisha Thompson (raped and strangled; set on fire and thrown off a building post-mortem)
- March 22: Tiffany Purcell (bludgeoned with a brick, raped, and strangled)
- March 23: Tina Dupree (raped and strangled)
- March 24: Dr. Melinda Warner (sexually harassed)
- Post-March 26: Rodney Thompson (Aisha's brother; assaulted by biting his arm)