Have you heard of the New York Butcher? In 2013, did you hear about dismembered body parts scattered in garbage bags across the Bronx? Bahsid Mclean was the 23-year-old man behind this heinous act. So why did he do it?
The young man was not just dismembering anyone after killing them! His mother was stuffing heavy-duty garbage bags and dumping them at different locations in the Bronx. A dog owner first discovered the body parts!
The individual went for a walk with their dog while the dog was attracted to the smell of “meat“! It was this that led to the discovery of the body parts, and they called the police! Let us get a detailed understanding as to why Bahsid Mclean killed his mother.
There are other unfortunate incidents related to this man, which I will talk about! It will make you think about the misfortune of this family and the challenges they experienced. The criminal act is described in more detail!
This Man Used A Power Saw To Kill His Mother!
The legal system was also shocked by the way the case was shaped. To pursue justice, the legal system arrested Bahsid Mclean and charged him with the murder of his mother! It was an emotional and complex rollercoaster where the defense was considering the mental health of Bahsid!
Somewhere, it felt like the son harbored much anger towards his mother! I am going to share with you the reasons why we think this anger led to him killing his mother. Let us delve deeper into this destructive mind of the man who killed his mother and then dismembered her.
His mother was known to be a loving and generous individual who was upbeat and tried to support her children and her family effectively. A friend, Elizabeth Cruz, claims that Tanya is a person who tries to help other people and give them what they need.
Even Tanya’s sister, Cassandra McLean, informed us that she was a good mother who cared for her two boys, Bahsid and Nasyr, a seven-year-old child with Down syndrome. Let us go through the murder of the mother and the way the son dealt with the whole situation.
Murder Of Tanya Byrd
45-year-old Tanya Byrd worked as a home health aide who was a loving mother, unfortunately meeting her untimely death in February 2013. Her son, Bahsid Mclean, was responsible for her death as he brutally murdered her by stabbing her in the neck.
The gruesome details of her murder do not just end there as the son used a power saw to dismember the body part of the mother! Disturbing and shocking, the whole incident reeks of instability, especially when a son kills his mother.
So, what could have driven Bahsid Mclean to commit such a crime? The community was shocked, and there was clear disbelief among the people. If you are trying to understand the reason behind why he did what he did, you must learn about the mental health of the man!
However, what led to eventual conviction was the overwhelming evidence provided by the prosecution! Bahsid was proven to be the sole perpetrator of the crime thus, was sentenced to 25 years of life in prison.
Troubled Life Of Bahsid Mclean
A troubled man from the beginning, Bahsid Mclean is deemed a destructive individual by his grandfather, James McLean. James informed me that Bahsid used to set things on fire and did other detrimental things. People used to face difficulty while controlling him!
According to people who were acquaintances of the family, even his mother, Tanya Byrd, feared him. Bahsid was living with his mother after he separated from the mother of his child, Vera McLean. In 2010, he assaulted police officers. Hence, he was serving probation when he was living with his mother.
A troubled life, no doubt; Mclean was angry at his mother after she asked him to leave her house because he failed as a father. She told him it was his responsibility to care for his son, Zamair! He left the house and came back just to stab his mother and cut her into pieces.
How Did The Arrest Take Place?
The police came after Bahsid filed a report for a missing person about his mother at the Bronx precinct of the NYPD. The apartment smelled like bleach, and the shower curtains were missing. They already suspected that everything was not as it seemed.
It was after Tanya’s head, which was dismembered from her body, was found that Bahsid confessed to the crime. But even then, he was trying to put everything on William Harris, his accomplice in the murder. The police took both Bahsid and William into custody and charged them with murder.
After the arrest, Bahsid tried to put all on William by stating that it was William who killed his mother and then threatened him. The reason why Bahsid helped William by cutting his mother to pieces and disposing of the body was because his little brother was threatened.
He also said that the blood of the body was drained in the bathtub. Now, the police started investigating the crime scene, the Bronx apartment, where they found latex gloves, a saw, and a shopping cart. They also observed that the apartment was scrubbed meticulously!
Perspectives Of The Investigators
According to Assistant District Attorney Aaron Kaplan, it was Bahsid who stabbed his mother after they argued. In that argument, the mother tried to show his faulty ways by telling him he was a bad father and asking him to move out!
This led him to go out, purchase a power saw, and then go back and carry out the murder! Of course, it was he who stabbed his mother and took a picture with her severed head. After the police informed him about the severed head, he started confessing. However, it was constantly changing!
When chopping the body, William Harris helped Bahsid. Later, he confessed to the police that there was incriminating evidence on the mobile phone in graphic photographs. There was a video where Bahsid tells the police, “If you can kill somebody, you should be able to cut them up too.”
Finally, he was convicted of unlawful dissection and second-degree murder after all the evidence was proven. It led to 25 years of life in prison, after which he was transported to Rikers Island in the west facility! There, he punched an officer in jail and then slashed his face.
Bahsid is currently at the Clinton Correctional Facility and is serving his life sentence. He will be eligible for parole in 2039!
Death Of Bahsid’s Son!
The horror did not end here! Bahsid has a temporary relationship with Zarah Coombs, but it is troubled which leads to them becoming pregnant. The couple then separated as Zarah fell in love with Jamar Richardson. She went on to have two more children with him!
It was in 2017 when police responded to a call to the home of Zarah and Jamar; they found the child of Zahra and Bahsid, Zamair, in a plastic tote, unresponsive. The tote was filled with water. The child was beaten with a broomstick by his mother, who then placed him in a plastic tote filled with water.
He was completely unconscious as his head was completely underwater even though he was clinging to dear life! The mother, Zahra, went on to tend to her 1-year-old child and then breastfeed her newborn. After the police called for paramedics, they tried to save Zamair, but unfortunately, he succumbed to his injuries.
There were abrasions and several bruises on the child’s body, which the nurses and doctors discovered later. This proved that Zahra already abused him. The mother finally confessed to hitting Zamair for a prolonged time, even when he was inside the tote.
She justifies her financial troubles by confessing to her crime. She has been sentenced to 17 years and is serving her sentence at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility.
Finishing Off…
To sum it all up, the horrific incidents and decisions of Bahsid Mclean impacted not just him but also his family. His actions not only took his mother’s life but his carelessness and irresponsibility led to his son being killed by his partner.
He was a bad father because he took no responsibility for his son. Instead, he was so out of control that people feared him and how he was destroyed.
Comment on whether you agree with the punishment the authorities gave him and what else could have been done!
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