Brian White, 26, of Humble, Texas, was charged with murder Thursday, after he approached a 75-year-old Russian immigrant and asked him to buy a religious CD. When he was rebuffed, White savagely beat him on the head with a large rock, state police said. He then fled from the scene and led state police on a 70-mile chase before he was captured.
State police said the incident began about 12:45 a.m. White, a DJ, was traveling to New York City when he stopped at the James Fenimore Cooper rest stop about 12:45 a.m. Thursday just north of Exit 4 in Mount Laurel, state police said. At the rest stop was Michail J. Makarenko, 75, of Virginia, and his interpreter, who were traveling to northern New Jersey and New York City to visit family, state police said.
Makarenko was an anti-communist activist who had spent 11 years as a political prisoner in the former Soviet Union for displaying avant-garde art in a gallery, said Lee Edwards, of Washington, D.C., an associate of Makarenko’s.
White approached Makarenko at the base of the handicapped access ramp and asked him to buy a CD, state police said. When he refused, state police said White picked up a rock about 4 to 6 inches in diameter and pummeled Makarenko over the head with it as turnpike travelers watched, state police said.
Makarenko was unconscious when police arrived, a large, gaping wound visible at the top right of his head, court documents said. He died shortly after. White sped away in his white Camaro, state police said. But a witness followed White and called police from a cell phone as they both went north on the highway.
State troopers caught up with White at Exit 7 and followed him for about 70 miles, traveling about 80 mph at most, state police said. The Camaro turned off at Route 80 and as the car slowed down White bailed out. He charged troopers and was quickly subdued, state police said.
COURIER-POST: Let He Who Is Without Sin Cast The First Stone
MYSPACE: “ANyways my real name is Brian Kuo Catrelle White and my Album which I believe will be part of The next century Bible is called the Book of Brian. The Book contains ? Chapters and in them is True Secrets straight from God. Aliens are among us, the secret scrolls is real, We have a secret city the Gov has made, and the cloning of men is now and real. God is very angry with us, and he will soon change his face.”