NEW YORK (AP) — The New York City Police Department has apprehended a suspect in connection with the fatal assault of a groundbreaking rock musician in the borough of the Bronx. Sharief Bodden, aged 29, was formally charged on Friday in the tragic demise of Peter Forrest, a 64-year-old resident of the Bronx, who, known by his stage moniker P. Fluid, served as the lead vocalist for the band 24/7 Spyz. Standing as a prominent figure in the music scene, the Bronx-based group was among a cohort of Black-led rock bands, alongside renowned acts such as Living Colour and Fishbone, that emerged during the 1980s, fusing various musical elements encompassing heavy metal, funk, R&B, punk, and more. Notably, one of 24/7 Spyz’s hallmark tracks was a reimagined version of Kool & the Gang’s hit “Jungle Boogie.” As per accounts from Rolling Stone, Forrest departed from the band while on tour with Jane’s Addiction in 1990.
The Black Rock Coalition, an artists’ collective hailing from New York, paid tribute to Forrest as an indispensable component of a seminal band within the group’s lineage, which was co-founded by Vernon Reid of Living Colour and other Black musicians. In a heartfelt message shared on their official Facebook page, the organization lauded Fluid as a figure of unparalleled creativity, charisma, energy, and stage presence, ranking among a select few individuals possessing such formidable qualities.
Law enforcement officials disclosed that Forrest was discovered in an unconscious and battered state inside the private ambulette bus he operated on Monday. Tragically, he was declared deceased at the scene, with findings from the medical examiner’s office revealing he had sustained severe blunt force injuries to his head and torso. Surveillance footage obtained from News 12 Bronx captured a man exiting the bus around 9 a.m. before departing in a separate vehicle accompanied by a woman. Approximately an hour later, another employee of the ambulette company arrived at the scene and made the grim discovery of Forrest’s lifeless body within the van.
Bodden, the identified suspect, now faces a litany of charges encompassing murder, manslaughter, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of a weapon with criminal intent. Presently, no legal representation is documented for Bodden within the state’s electronic court repository, while efforts to elicit a response from the Bronx district attorney’s office regarding the case remained unanswered as of Saturday.
