Warhol's Doctor Attacked on The Anniversary of His Death
New York- WABC, February 22, 2007
An elderly doctor is hospitalized with severe burns after an alleged sexual encounter.
79-year-old, Dr. Denton Cox remains in critical condition tonight. The doctor is well known for treating celebrities early in his career, like Andy Warhol.
Police say he was attacked inside his penthouse at 530 East 72nd Street.
Eyewitness News reporter Stacy Sager has the latest from the Upper East Side.
Initially, the doctor told police he was mugged and doused with some sort of chemical. But story wasn't all true. For example, he waited to report it until he was found in his apartment the next day with burns over 40% of his body.
"It's just horrible to think that that could happen to anybody," doctor's neighbor, Adrienne Berger, said.
And neighbors of celebrity Doctor Denton Sayer Cox would like to know how it all happened and so would police.
Witnesses say they saw the 79-year-old physician, who has a sprawling penthouse here on East 72nd Street, wheeled out Tuesday morning. He was beaten badly and his body was burned with some sort of chemical.
"He just looked very distressed. That was it. They took him away and they had examiners coming in and police cars left and right," a construction worker, Joe D'ambruoso, said.
The doctor is well known and respected. His celebrity patients include artist Andy Warhol and writer John Steinbeck.
Dr. Cox remains at New York Presbyterian Hospital's burn unit but the circumstances of the attack on him remain a mystery.
The doctor initially told police he was robbed by several thugs on East 73rd Street and York Avenue on Monday night that his attackers doused him with a mysterious chemical.
But right away there were holes in the story. People who work right at the scene didn't hear or see anything.
"I was here and nothing suspicious happened," one of workers in the neighbor said.
And some neighbors also doubted it was true.
"It doesn't sound very likely to me. We have a lot of police around here. And I don't see obvious thugs hanging around," a neighbor, Keith Jewell, said. "I would report them myself."
Police sources now confirming this does not appear to be any a random attack. They are looking at this as some sort of sexual encounter gone bad between the doctor and a male companion at his apartment.
Meanwhile, the door to his office was locked by his employees today.
This high-rise is right next door to the one that was struck by Corey Lidle's airplane just a few months ago. So, the residents in his building, somewhat used to the bizarre and nothing seems too surprising, but nonetheless, upsetting.
"I think it's dreadful. I think the whole situation is not very pleasant," one of neighbors said.
Sources tell Eyewitness News that the doctor didn't want to go to the authority so he tried to treat himself.
According to investigators the doctor is not cooperating with the investigation.
Police are checking surveillance cameras to see if there is anything that would help their investigation. But at this point the Doctor has refused to assist them or identify who did this to him.