Bethlehem Ayele, better known to Ohio patrons as "Betty," was murdered late Wednesday night. Ms. Ayele stopped at a traffic light in Del Ray when a man approached her car and fired through the window. Ms. Ayele was struck in the head. Though motive was not immediately clear, it has now been ascertained that Betty Ayele offered testimony during the Murder Inc. trial. The trial involved a gang of drug dealers who operated, during the 1990s, in the area just north of H Street and participated in widespread witness killings.
Betty Ayele was known for her friendly and welcoming personality. She worked with her sister in the the Ohio Restaurant (1380 H Street), which their family acquired less than a year ago. She had high hopes of turning the Ohio, which was once downtrodden, and suffering for a reputation for violence, into a a success story. Since the two sisters took control, the Ohio has received numerous enthusiatic reviews, including endorsements from the Washington Post, and the City Paper. The Ohio is maintaining its normal hours, so feel free to stop in and enjoy a bit of Betty's dream in her memory.
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Oops
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The Ohio was open yesterday, but closed last night. Not sure what the deal is with the hours. Sorry for the misinformation.
35 comments:
Betty's picture is featured in a photo layout in the special restaurant section. It is in an article about chefs from all parts of the world known for their cooking a different ethnic food than their own.
I will dearly miss her.
This is horrible! I went to the Ohio several time since Betty took over and she always came over and said hello and thanked me for coming. She was a great person. I really can't believe this.
I knew Betty as a gentle, kind person, very warm to her customers. She had great dreams for the Ohio Restaurant.
I am absolutely horrified. Betty was so wonderful and I have been looking forward to spending many more brunches at the Ohio with her behind the counter! I can't even imagine how hard this must be for her sister.
I certainly hope that the MPD makes it a serious priority to catch whoever did this. Witness intimidation adn slaying cannot be the end result for people who come forward to help clean up areas that have been terrorized by drugs and crime.
"Witness intimidation adn [sic] slaying cannot be the end result for people who come forward to help clean up areas that have been terrorized by drugs and crime."
Now, I always found Betty to be a very kind and welcoming presence at The Ohio as well, but the posthumous nature of your praise doesn't make it any more correct. If you read the Post article, it would appear that far from "coming forward," Betty cut a deal to get out of her own charges for pushing yay and carrying a weapon.
In no way do I wish to say that the MPD shouldn't be hard at work on solving this, or that it's anything other than tragic, but that doesn't mean that we should pretend that Betty has always been a solely anti drug and crime force.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the whole family. This is a great loss for us all. Betty was a very sweet lady who really cared about making customers feel at home at the Ohio. She also cared about making the restaurant the best it could be, and a positive contributer to the H Street community.
My condolences to her friends and family. It won't be the MPD investigating this crime however, it will be the City of Alexandria Police Department and potentially the FBI if it appears that someone crossed state lines to do this.
From the article it appears that she was targeted since nothing was stolen and the shooter passed by several cars.
True, maybe Betty came forward to help her own case, but it’s also possible she came forward to clear her conscience knowing that her testimony would help right a wrong to society she may have felt partly responsible for. Bottom line is this, Kerry. I don’t think you or I can say what her motivation was for coming forward. But to assume she came forward solely for selfish reasons without knowing more than what you have read in a WaPo story is extremely unfair.
Also, it's worth noting that this happened in Alexandria so the investigation will likely be handled by City of Alexandria or Arlington Co.
I don't think that it matters why she came forward. That she did the right thing in the end is what counts. She helped put away a lot of nasty individuals and for that we should be thankful.
The shooting occurred in the City of Alexandria. What the article doesn't state is that it occurred in a nice part of Alexandria.
Omar - You're correct, of course, I shouldn't make assumptions about her motivations. That was wrong of me. I can't begin to guess at what her personal impetus.
Her motivation, however, was not really my point. My point was that it may be a mischaracterization to say that someone who was selling drugs and carrying a gun was a force to "help clean up areas that have been terrorized by drugs and crime."
That said, she had definitely - and recently - changed the character of The Ohio and been a positive force on H Street, and I'm not trying to minimize that impact. I just found something absurd in mfaith's statment given the reality of the history.
Kerry, your comments are naive and mean-spirited. It is not unusual for someone who grew up in a neighborhood like this-- which suffered so long from bad government and lack of economic opportunity-- to have involved themselves in illegal activity at one point or another. The point was she eventually made the right decisions, which include turning a place with a terrible, dangerous reputation into a friendly little soul food joint. Shame on you for your comments.
A couple of things:
1. testifying against these guys was a bit like testifying against the mob (i.e. something many people might resist doing, even if it meant jail time). They had already killed 31 people (many because they were witnesses).
2. I believe Betty grew up in a suburb of DC (VA, I believe)
I will truly miss Betty and her warm and encouraging presence. SHE WAS A COURAGEOUS AND KIND WOMAN. As it is written, let those who are without sin throw the first stone. The truth is, we are all human and good acts should be commended for contributing something positive to this cold world. Betty definitely made her positive contributions. Her spirit has touched and will be fondly remembered by many in our community. Peace be with you and your family Betty! Peace to our entire community.
What a horrible tragedy. At least it happened in the jurisdiction of Alexandria. Maybe if VA police are investigating, it will actually get solved.
inked, I'm not sure of your point. do you mean she grew up in old-town Alexandria or in public housing there? when you say, "grew up," do you mean as a small child or she spent her entire youth there? for me, i don't think any of that matters. from the newspaper article, it seems that betty has been in this neighborhood for a long time. my point was that people's involvement in low-level crime should be judged in context, not in absolutes. do you disagree with that?
When I was reading the announcement here the Post link wasn't working for me so I didn't get a chance to read that part of the story until later. I realize that my comment may sound very sweeping and singular in praise- I only knew in her role at the Ohio. While I do see now that she wasn't a total angel, (who is?) and whether or not she did it out of self interest, anyone who testifies in cases like this certainly knows that there is a serious chance for retaliation,which still makes it more than a simple self preservation as far as I am concerned.
Whatever kind of witness Betty was, the case deserves serious attention from MPD,VA, FBI-whoever, b/c when witnesses aren't willing to testify for anything due to a fear of being killed, its can be pretty hard to get convictions.
Betty wanted a lot more for H Street and the changes her family was making to the Ohio were a really encouraging start. I sense that kerry's issues were with my sentimental tone and what was percieved to be naivite-when it really was just shock that someone I liked and knew had been killed.
Rick,
I was just pointing out that she didn't grow up in this neighborhood.
inked, do you know how old she was, and how long she's been in this neighborhood?
Betty was 34. It isn't clear to me whether or not she frequented the neighborhood prior to purchasing the Ohio. Because, though I know the nature of some of the testimony that she offered, I haven't read her actual testimony, so I have no basis to say whether it might indicate how long she has frequented the neighborhood. The fact that she testified against at least one individual involved with the Murder Inc. group does not necessary mean that she did frequent the area (worth noting is that the group did do business outside the neighborhood). So, all I know is that she has definitely been coming around since her family began running the Ohio.
To clarify, the first comment to this post refers to this week's City Paper. Get a copy of the paper, pull out the special food section, open to the photo layout & there is a photo of Betty near the bottom middle of the spread.
I think mfaith got my point, while Rick, by insisting that I'm being mean-spirited and naive, somewhat missed it. Anonymous, by involving sins and stone casting, couldn't be further from understanding what I was talking about, which certainly wasn't judgement.
Like many of you, I had many encounters with Betty at The Ohio, and found her to be a lovely woman. I always enjoyed our interactions. I am not trying to condemn her, I was merely trying to point out that humans tend to have a proclivity towards posthumous deification and just because we admired Betty in the role that we knew her in doesn't mean that we should paint an unrealistic portrait of her. Humans are the sum of their actions, good and bad, and I think it is a diservice to anyone's memory to pretend that there was no bad. I thought some of the comments evinced rather sweeping praise that may have been overwrought, and Rick apparently took this to be "mean-spirited."
I do not know the circumstances of Betty's childhood, and Rick has made it clear from his mischaracterization that he does not either, but I would posit that the unfortunate realities growing up in a disadvantaged community are just that. The fact that misteps are understandable is not, in and of itself, exculpatory. But that is beside the point - my intent was never to place blame, but to try and recognize that even the dead deserve balance.
Kerry, you stated that "it may be a mischaracterization to say that someone who was selling drugs and carrying a gun was a force to help clean up areas that have been terrorized by drugs and crime." What you neglected to consider was that selling drugs and carrying a gun was in the PAST, and her PRESENT activities were a big positive to the neighborhood. Your lumping everything together without regard for time or context was judgmental- there's no two ways about it.
While I do not know the details of her childhood, and inked apparently does not either, I was trying to make the point that past involvement in low-level crime is not unusual in our area. It's too bad your public response to her death was to highlight that part of her life.
conspiring to distribute cocaine and carrying a firearm isn't a ``low-level crime'' it's a major felony and it's a cancer on this city. Beyond the basic disappointment in the loss of a human life, I have little sympathy. This woman led a life and crime and it finally caught up with her. Second this woman's so called ``past'' was only about 6 years ago. Her conviction was in 2000. I don't think opening a restaurant in a depressed area automatically absolves a person from years of behavior that likely contributed to that area being economically deprived in the first place. I've been reading these posts and biting my tongue for the past 2 days. but this whitewashing of a deceased person's past is ridiculous. Kerry made a valid and insightful point that originally was in response to someone trying to deify this woman for her courage in testifying to ``help clean up areas that have been terrorized by drugs and crime.'' Yes sir, this community has been terrorized, by a murderous drug gang that this woman was willfully complicit in her involvement with, and omitting that from discussion is a slap in the face to those of us who are forced to live with this sh*t every day. Enough!
--shelley
Gosh people, She was brutally murdered. No need to deify, judge, condemn or even strike balance. Can we just have some REVERENCE in her death. Please?
Shelley, a "low-level" crime in DC is different from a "low-level" crime in, say, small town Iowa. Anyone who deals should do their time, of course. But you are living in a community that was rife with crack cocaine for 10-20 years. If you comdemn anyone with ANY involvement in that at some point in their life, then this must be a tough neighborhood for you to live in. Guess you're hoping all those condos go up ASAP.
what does this have to do with condos? Don't be a condescending. You know nothing about me. just make your own arguments and leave out the childish assumptions. This is why I tried to refrain from even commenting because I knew some idiot would just start taking personal shots rather than sticking to a sensible and civil debate.
Rick, I make no bones about my disdain for drug dealing. There's nothing cool or low level about it, it's a parasitic crime that spawns additional crime including robberies, burglaries and murder and saps the life from communities. that's my opinion and it's my prerogative to say so. And I'll keep saying it. To your face, to the police, to the politicians and to anyone within earshot. It's not necessarily condemnation for Betty, but I damn sure don't have to celebrate the life of a convicted drug felon. I'm no saint, but not everybody in the hood is slinging dope. And its hard for me to embrace anybody or find any excuse for someone who through criminal behavior would have such little regard for the community to disrupt the lives of everyday people who are trying to scratch out a living the hard way and hold on to some minimal standard for quality of life. And just because crack is more prevalent in dc than iowa does not somehow make it a lower level crime. That's laughable on its face. By that logic then murder as well should be a downgraded in criminal status in dc because killings are more prevalent here than in small town Iowa. Gimme a break.
--shelley
Hey, I think the important thing here is that we're all friends, or neighbors. So let's not lose sight of that fact, and let's try to keep it civil.
Yes, Betty apparently had a skeleton, or two in the old closet, but the Betty I knew seemed to care about the business, and the neighborhood. I probably would not have wondered over to the Ohio that first day (I'd always heard the place had a pretty nasty reputation) if I hadn't met Betty first at a community meeting. I feel that she was a major force in turning the place around and getting it recognized in the Post, in the CIty Paper, and by a whole lot of people who probably never would have walked through its front door had the not read/heard about it somewhere first.
Secondly, Betty took a major risk by testifying in a trial like this one. These guys are coldblooded killers who left quite the trail of bodies. And while we don't have to like the criminal histories of some witnesses, we should acknowledge that without such testimony, there would still be a lot more people like the Murder Inc. guys still ou prowling the streets instead of rotting behind bars. I don't know Betty's full life story, but I think I can confidently say that in the final balance, it looks to me like the good she did far outweighed the bad. I'll miss her.
I met Betty in Arlington County Detention Center in 2001where she served almost two years before she agreed to testify. I was 23 years old and addicted to heroin when I was arrested. I am proud to report that I have not had a drink or drug since March 23, 2001. During my time in ACDC, I became close with Betty. She showed me so many reasons why I shouldn’t return to the life of crime and drug abuse I was previously leading. Regardless of her past, Betty was a kind and loving person who I believe redeemed herself from her past from the way she chose to live her life after her criminal actions.
My hope would be for her to be remembered by her kind spirit and love for others.
Looking back, I am truly amazed at the number of postings here. I guess it's a pity that many of us, including myself, got a little carried away. I guess I'm not used to seeing people publicly evaluating someone's life immediately after their death, when they obviously have many family, friends, and customers in mourning. But clearly her death brings out many of the issues that are bubbling beneath the surface of this community.
Do we know when the restaurant will be open again for business? It has been closed the last several days, I assume for memorial and funeral services. Also, is there anyway to support the restaurant other than frequenting it once it reopens?
I think that for many reasons this death touched a nerve with all of us. I think that it is good that we all discuss these issues instead of papering over them and letting them fester.
FWIW, I think that while she made mistakes, she ultimately tried and did atone for them. I think that testifying against Murder, Inc. was a terrifying choice to make and one that required much courage.
From everything I've heard, she turned her life around. Whoever killed her should be made to pay to the full extent of the law. Its better that this happened in VA since I have more faith in the police there taking this seriously and pursuing the case.
I think the point we are all missing here is that death is the scariest thing all of us must face. We want to make sense of death--and of course individual deaths must somehow be softened by applying reason.
I.e.--"The person was old." "The person ate too much fatty foods, therefore their arteries hardened and they died" "Betty's past caught up with her." Etc, etc.
A blog and the internet make horrific things we think easier to write. Just think if you had to stick a lot of the above written thoughts in an envelope, address it and send it to Betty's loved ones. I think hardly any letters would be sent. What if you had to SAY any of these things in a public forum where some of Betty's loved ones were present? Again, very few of the things above would have been uttered.
Betty was an amazing personality. She lived in many worlds. She is truly a terrific and sad story.
The most amazing thing is how our government let Murder Inc run wild for a dozen years along H street. Also alarming is how our police and justice system fail to protect witnesses. Would you do the "right thing" if faced with similar circumstances?
Betty's story is one I will think about for years and years to come. It is multi-layered and fascinating. We want the world to be filled with black and white choices. But sorry friends, grey is usually the order of the day....
The Wash. Times reports that Betty worked undercover at various points to help law enforcement, but it's not clear whether her murder is related to that work:
http://washingtontimes.com/metro/20061105-111641-6117r.htm
She was involved with drugs, the biggest crime in America when the poor transact it. But Kerry and y'all get your facts straight. who is the biggest ditributer of any kind of drugs? why are we in Afghanistan Hello??? the last time I chkecked it is the highest cock leaves producer country in the world and who is guarding the land while production trippled right at this moment. Bethlhem knew too much so they decided to get rid off her. No thug hangs around in this neighberhood. She finally escaped,and trusted too much. I knew her since she was 12 and she of course grew up in the roughest side part of DC. She was a beautiful person helped out a lot of people and was so intlegent. She trusted the enemy and was her time to go. I think we should all leave her soul alone,she is with her creator. she is deintely in the most powerful place than any earthly authority.
Bryce,
this comment also falls into the libel per se category (so I'm removing it). While you are welcome to post comments to the site, please refrain from posting libelous comments. Defamation is a serious and fully actionable tort.
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