We have previously noted the perhaps-not-so-surprising developments in the murder of Josh Kruger, something of a minor celebrity in the City of Brotherly Love. Mr Kruger was shot at his residence in the Point Breeze neighborhood, and the alleged killer’s family have made the claim that Mr Kruger had a sexual relationship with the shooter when the shooter was only 15 years old.

Philly LGBT center cancels tribute to slain journalist Josh Kruger, citing ‘allegations that have recently surfaced’

“As more is revealed about the facts of the case, we hope that together we can figure out the right next steps to acknowledge and remember the many victims in this case — individuals, families and communities,” the post said.

by Oona Goodin-Smith | Friday the Thirteenth, October 2023 | 7:13 PM EDT

The William Way LGBT Community Center has canceled a planned tribute event for slain Philadelphia journalist Josh Kruger, citing “the allegations that have recently surfaced.”

The cancellation of the event — a ticketed gathering slated for Oct. 29 for those who knew Kruger to gather, share stories, and reminisce — came a day after The Inquirer published a story detailing assertions from the family of Robert Davis, 19, who is accused of fatally shooting Kruger in his Point Breeze home earlier this month.

The family said Davis was 15 years old when he and Kruger began a relationship involving drugs, and that prior to the shooting, Davis told them Kruger threatened to post sexually explicit videos of the teen online.

“With the allegations that have recently surfaced about Josh’s murder and the complexities involved, we don’t believe that we can create a safe space, either for Josh’s friends and family, or for those who have rightful anger and concerns over allegations of child sexual abuse,” the center posted on its event page Thursday. The William Way Center could not be reached for comment Friday.

“As more is revealed about the facts of the case, we hope that together we can figure out the right next steps to acknowledge and remember the many victims in this case — individuals, families, and communities,” the center’s post said.

Can we tell the truth here? A somewhat celebrated freelance journalist, who has been described as “proudly queer,” is alleged to have have had some form of sex with a 15-year-old, and in Pennsylvania, under Title 18 §3122(1)(b), that is a first-degree felony, punishable by more than ten years in prison, and which sees a normal sentence guideline of ten to twenty years behind bars. If Mr Kruger threatened to blackmail Robert Davis, that would be, under Pennsylvania Title 18 §3133(a)(1) and (b)(2), a third-degree felony under subsection (d)(2)(i). This isn’t the kind of local “hero” that the left and homosexual advocacy groups would want to fête. Rather, even if the allegations cannot be proven, he’s someone that they’d rather forget, because there will always be those who believe the allegations, proven or otherwise.

There is, however, an obvious question: given Mr Kruger’s fame among the homosexual community, and the fact that he has admitted to doing sex work to survive, and his admitted addiction to methamphetamines, and the fact that he had some sort of relationship with a male twenty years younger than him, how many people in that community knew about his (alleged) activities? How many of them at least suspected, but turned a blind eye to it?

When I first read about the allegations made by Mr Davis family, I did not automatically either believe or disbelieve them. Rather, my first impression was, and remains, that the family are trying to set up a diminished capacity or even self-defense argument, to get Mr Davis either a much lighter sentence, or possibly even get the charges dropped. But the allegations are out there, certainly unproven at this point, and a lot of people will believe them, automatically, and the term “groomer” immediately comes to mind. And the last thing the William Way LGBT Community Center wants is to seen celebrating a groomer.

Which brings up the questions I asked two paragraphs ago: how many people knew what Mr Kruger is alleged to have done? Because, if many people are going to automatically believe that the allegations are true, then many people will also guess or assume that at least some of his friends, including friends at the William Way Center, knew what he was.