New York City, New York — A beloved artist who spent years painting the birds and wildlife of Central Park while living on the streets has been identified as the 63-year-old woman found beaten to death near the park’s boathouse.
Lee Rogers, known to many birdwatchers and park regulars for her intricate wildlife watercolors, was discovered dead Sunday inside a gazebo near 74th Street and East Drive. Law-enforcement sources said she died after being beaten with a stick.
Her death has left members of the Central Park community mourning a woman they remembered as talented, colorful and deeply knowledgeable about the wildlife around her.
Artist Known as the ‘Grandma Moses of Central Park’
Rogers became a familiar presence in Central Park over the years, often carrying a sketchbook and selling paintings inspired by the birds and animals she observed around her.
Robert DeCandido, a nature walk guide known as “Birding Bob,” compared her work to that of renowned American folk artist Grandma Moses.
“She was like the Grandma Moses of Central Park,”
DeCandido told The Post that birdwatchers especially appreciated Rogers’ paintings of bird feeders and would purchase her artwork while visiting the park.
“When she did the bird feeders, the birders loved her. They would buy her artwork in the park,”
Rogers’ death quickly became the subject of concern among the birdwatching community and people who regularly spend time in Central Park.
Police Identify Suspect in Fatal Attack
Authorities identified Jonathan Robles, 36, as the suspect in Rogers’ killing. Police said Robles turned himself in late Sunday.
According to sources, Rogers and Robles had some type of argument that escalated into violence, although investigators had not publicly provided a complete account of what led to the deadly confrontation.
Robles was awaiting arraignment Monday in Manhattan court on murder and criminal possession of a weapon charges.
The case remains under investigation, and the circumstances surrounding the confrontation have not been fully established publicly.
Her Life Was Documented in a Film
Rogers’ life had already attracted attention long before her death.
She referred to herself as Francis Lee Rogers on her website and Facebook, while sources said she was also known as Elise Bainbridge Hill.
Hill was the subject of the acclaimed 2007 documentary Begging Naked, filmed by her friend Karen Gehres over nearly a decade.
The documentary chronicled Rogers’ difficult journey, including her decision to leave home as a teenager, her arrival in New York City and her struggles with prostitution and drug addiction.
She eventually worked as a stripper while continuing to develop her artistic abilities. Her paintings drew inspiration from the colorful world around her, and art remained an important part of her life even as she faced homelessness.
Central Park Became Her Home
Rogers eventually lost her home and began sleeping in and around Central Park. She continued producing artwork while living outdoors and sometimes stayed near churches in the area. On her website, she wrote:
“For many years I was homeless,” she wrote on her website. “I worked on my paintings at the Central Park boathouse.”
Her knowledge of wildlife made her particularly recognizable among the park’s birdwatchers. In 2012, The New York Times profiled Rogers and compared her artistic work to that of naturalist painter John James Audubon.
She generally kept details about her personal life private, adding to the sense of mystery surrounding her.
Friends Remember Her Love of Wildlife
One of Rogers’ friends, Joe Lopez, met her in 2016 after purchasing one of her paintings of Pale Male, the famous red-tailed hawk associated with Central Park.
Lopez visited the gazebo Monday while carrying the painting and paid his respects at the place where Rogers often slept. He remembered her as someone who knew far more about wildlife than simply what she observed while painting.
“She was fun to talk to, she knew wildlife, she knew animal behavior,” he said. “It’s not like she just sat there and painted, she really knew more than an artist would about these animals. And I found that intriguing.”
Friends Noticed Changes in Recent Years
Rogers lived on and off in Central Park for years, sometimes staying in shelters and briefly getting off the streets after another birdwatcher offered her a place to stay.
But she eventually returned to the park.
DeCandido said Rogers appeared increasingly withdrawn during the last several years of her life. He recalled that she had lost weight and became more isolated.
“She was more standoffish, more reclusive,” DeCandido said.
He described seeing her beneath a tent near one of the park’s benches, where she would spend long periods alone.
“It was not the Lee I remember from 10 years ago.”
For the people who knew Rogers through her paintings, wildlife knowledge and years spent among the trees of Central Park, her death represents the loss of a distinctive figure who had become part of the park’s unique community.
Rogers’ death has left many Central Park regulars grieving. Did you ever encounter her artwork or see her painting birds in the park? Share your memories and thoughts in the comments.
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