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Published on January 20, 2025
Trailblazing Rock Musician Peter Forrest of 24/7 Spyz Fatally Beaten in Bronx, Suspect Charged with MurderSource: Google Street View

A musician who made waves in a pioneering wave of Black-led rock bands was beaten to death in the Bronx, police said, a tragic end for a figure who once embodied the spirit of rock with every strum of his guitar. Peter Forrest, also known as the dynamic P. Fluid of the band 24/7 Spyz, was found lifeless in the ambulette he operated – a shocking discovery that has rippled through the community and music industry alike. According to NBC New York, Sharief Bodden, 29, faces murder and related charges in the killing of the 64-year-old musician.

Forrest's death, ruled a homicide by blunt force trauma to the head and torso, was not only a loss to his loved ones but to the history of rock music, drawing sharp reactions. The Black Rock Coalition remembered him as an "essential chapter to an essential band," as detailed in a Facebook post. Found beaten inside the vehicle he drove for his day job on Monday, Forrest was pronounced dead at the scene. This grave discovery was made after Forrest failed to show up for scheduled pickups, raising the alarm amongst his colleagues, one of whom located his vehicle via GPS, as Hoodline reported.

Forrest's contributions to the rock genre were diverse, blending elements of heavy metal, funk, R&B, and more. As a frontman, he was revered for his electrifying stage presence. Surveillance footage obtained by News 12 Bronx showed a man, later identified as Bodden, exiting Forrest's bus and stepping into another car, approximately an hour before another worker discovered Forrest's body. As NBC New York notes, Bodden is charged with murder, manslaughter, and criminal possession charges, though no lawyer was listed for him in the state's online court database at the time of writing.

The community's response to Forrest's death has been one of shock and mourning, with many remembering his influence and artistry. "Music was his life and advancing Black rock was his life," Charmelle Dukes, known as Chiedza Makonnen and Forrest’s longtime ex-girlfriend, lamented in an interview with the Daily News. There's been a concerted effort from Forrest's former employer, Marquis Ambulette, to support the ongoing police investigation, and a representative from the company said, "It’s a terrible tragedy for the family and [our] hearts are going out to his family," as found by a colleague who preferred to remain unnamed, as Hoodline informed. While the investigation is actively following leads, the wider public awaits answers in the brutal death of a man whose music once captured the raw energy and complexity of an era.