Crime & Safety
Accused Duck Sauce Slayer Beat Wife For Decades Before Arrest: Report
Dorothy Hirsch, facing weapons charges linked to the murder of Zhiwen Yan, says she was also a victim of her late husband's, reports show.
FOREST HILLS, NY — The accused Duck Sauce slayer's widow says she was also one of his victims, suffering decades of domestic violence before his arrest for the murder of a beloved Forest Hills delivery worker, reports show.
Dorothy Hirsch, currently facing a weapons possession charge linked to the April killing of Zhiwen Yan, detailed the abuse as evidence that her late husband Glenn committed his acts of violence alone and without her help, the Daily News reported Sunday.
Mark Bederow, Dorothy Hirsch’s lawyer, said prosecutors have 10 sealed arrests which detailed abuse between 1991 to 2012, according to the report.
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Before and during their marriage, Hirsch — who died by suicide before he could face trial — beat, raped, mutilated his wife and threatened her family, according to Bederow.
The extreme violence of the attacks was detailed in a Daily Mail report.
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Bederow argued Hirsch’s abuse made it impossible for his client to “question” or “inspect” the bags of guns he left at their Briarwood apartment, the Daily News reports.
Despite the torrid details, the prosecution, which was aware of the abuse since June, moved forward with the indictment earlier this month, according to Bederow.
Hirsch, Bederow's client, was indicted on weapon charges in September following a June arrest and could face 15 years in prison if convicted, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz’s Office.
The arrest came shortly after Glenn Hirsch was arrested for the April 30 murder for the Great Wall restaurant delivery man, allegedly over the absence of duck sauce in his takeaway bag, according to prosecutors.
For the past month, Bederow had tried to prove Hirsch’s innocence by pointing to the her husband’s suicide letter, in which he claimed ownership of the weapons found in her home.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, there are resources to help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day at 988. Its website offers service including a live chat.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, there are resources to help, including The National Domestic Violence Hotline. People can call 1 (800) 799-7233 or text 88788 for help. Victim advocates are available 24 hours a day on the hotline and the website's live chat feature. Callers can speak to advocates in 140 languages and the hotline maintains an Anonymous Digital Service to protect its callers.
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