On the evening of October 11, 2003, college student Mark Fisher went partying on the Upper East Side in Manhattan. At the time, he was 19-years-old and attending Fairfield University.
While home for Columbus Day weekend, he decided to go to New York City for an evening with some friends. The following morning, Fisher was found shot to death on a street in Brooklyn.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. He Was Last Seen Heading to a Bar in Flatbush
How far would you go to free your child from jail? Dressing to entice & wearing a wire, Doreen Quinn Giuliano secretly recorded audio of her talks with the man she believes should never have been on the jury that convicted her son of murder #ABC2020 t.co/nJdAA4gqRG
At the bar Bar Harbor on the Upper East Side, (First Avenue and 77th Street) Fisher and his three friends reportedly bumped into their friend from Fairfield University, Angel DiPietro. DiPietro ventured into NYC with a handful of her own friends; one of them named Meredith Denihan. According to the Times, Denihan and Fisher “hit it off.”
Together, they left the bar and met up with one of DiPietro’s friends, who was accompanied by a man named John Giuca. Eventually, Giuca suggested the group make their way back to his home in Prospect Park South. Giuca’s parents were gone for the weekend, and his home, which was a seven-bedroom house that sat on Stratford Road, was open for them to use.
Giuca reportedly felt “disrespected” by Fisher at his own house. In court, prosecutors argued that Giuca and his friend, Antonio Russo, (who eventually was convicted with Giuca) were part of a street gang called The Ghetto Mafia.
When Fisher’s body was found early the following morning, his wallet had fallen into a nearby sewer. He had been reported missing by his friends from Fairfield University, whom he had separated from earlier that night.
2. He Was a National Honor Society Student and Star Football & Basketball Player
WATCH: Doreen Quinn Giuliano receives a call from her son John Giuca, whose murder conviction was recently overturned. He remains in jail as prosecutors appeal that decision. @JujuChangABC reports for tonight’s #ABC2020 t.co/nJdAA4y2gg
Fisher, who stood at 6-ft-4-in and weighed 230 pounds, was a National Honor Society student and a star athlete, playing on the football and basketball teams.
Speaking to the New York Times after his son’s death, Michael Fisher said, “He was a much better person than I’ll ever be… Mark was really a respectful guy. He always had respect for everybody.”
Fisher was a sophomore at the university in Fairfield, Connecticut, at the time of his death.
3. He Had an Older Brother and Younger Sister
Mother of man in prison opens up to @JujuChangABC about her fight to try to prove her son’s innocence, including going undercover by changing her appearance – TONIGHT on #ABC2020 t.co/nJdAA4gqRG
Fisher was born in St. Joseph’s Hospital in Paterson, New Jersey, in 1983. He had one older brother, Michael, and one younger sister, Alexis.
Mark began playing Little League baseball and basketball in intermediate school. When he was in just the third grade, he received Most Valuable Defensive Player Award. A website dedicated to Mark reads, “A big highlight for Mark came in the final game of the season against Sparta, NJ where he was awarded the Most Valuable Player of the game by the opposing coaches.”
Mark was also a musician and played the guitar and piano. At church, he was a volunteer usher.
4. John Giuca’s Conviction Was Overturned in February
Another case tried by the corrupt former DA’s office #JohnGuica – After Nearly 15 Years, a Brooklyn Murder Case Could Return to Court
A year after Fisher’s death, John Giuca was arrested and found guilty along with Antonio Russo. Both men were given 25 years to life for Fisher’s death.
On February 7, 2018, an appeals court overturned John Giuca’s 2005 conviction for the murder of Mark Fisher. The appeals court claimed that during the trial, the prosecution made errors that affected the jury’s decision. Furthermore, Antonio Russo, who was also convicted and sentenced for Fisher’s murder, informed detectives that he shot and killed Mark but he did not implicate John, according to Broadway World.
Little forensic evidence was used in Giuca’s original trial. A gun was never found, even though two of the five shell casings were located.
Giuca, now 34, has spent the past decade-plus on Riker’s Island. He has maintained his innocence since his arrest.
5. The Fisher Family Created a Website in Honor of Mark
Mark’s family created a website in his honor after his passing. The page includes articles, testimonials, a fund, and other peoples’ memories of Mark.
One testimonial on the testimonials page reads, “Mark was unique. He made you feel great and always positive, no matter what was going on in your life. He was the glue that held us together. Mark would take anything for us, and it’s a big void to fill.”
Another reads, “Mark Fisher is the kind of young man you want your daughter to marry. He had all the intangibles you want in a young human being. He was unselfish and he had a high integrity. This is the kind of kid we need more of. He was one of those people that come along once in a career.”
Tonight’s 20/20 features secretly-recorded interviews between Giuca’s mother and juror Jason Allo, as well as interviews with John from jail, Jason, Jay Salpeter (a private investigator), and retired lieutenant commander Robert Casazza.