Popular DJ who vanished 3 weeks ago ID'd as man found dead on NYC houseboat: sources
Reda Briki, 52, was found unconscious and unresponsive by an acquaintance in the cabin of a boat docked at Railroad and Greenpoint avenues in Newton Creek Marina Sunday afternoon, sources said.
The electronic dance music producer, who co-founded Love that Fever, was pronounced dead at the scene, though friends – who launched an exhaustive search after he was last seen on June 14 – believe he died weeks ago.
Advertisement
3 DJ Reda Briki seated on an ornate chair.
DJ Reda Briki/Facebook
'We are heartbroken to share that Reda Briki passed away in June 2025,' friend Tim Fielding wrote in a Facebook post Tuesday, remembering the musicians 'multiple talents, positive attitude, amazing skillset and cheeky humor.'
'This news may come as a shock, and we know Reda meant many things to many people – a friend, a brother, a fellow creative spirit. He had a wild and beautiful energy, and he moved through the world in his own unique way. He made a lot of people happy with his music,' he continued.
Advertisement
'On a personal note, it was just 5 weeks ago he was with me, rocking in a festival in Devon, taking people on a deep tribal house journey, living his best life. Gone too soon. Safe travels back to the music, brother. RIP.'
Briki may have died about a week before his decomposed corpse was discovered, sources said, adding that he suffered no apparent signs of trauma and is not immediately believed to be the victim of a crime.
3 The 52-year-old DJ was discovered unconscious and unresponsive on board a docked boat.
Kyle Mazza/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
The Medical Examiner's office did not immediately respond to The Post's request for comment.
Advertisement
For nearly three weeks, friends and fans plastered fliers and flooded social media in a desperate effort to find Briki, who they said was last seen DJing at Maison Harlem, a French bistro in West Harlem.
Briki, who hailed from the French Algiers, was widely regarded as a trailblazer of electronic dance music during his nearly 20 years in the business, according to his website.
3 DJ Reda Briki was last seen on June 14, according to missing posters plastered on social media.
DJ Reda Briki/Facebook
'Originally from French Algiers but coming of age in Parisian club culture, Reda was surrounded by a world of rich electric influences of tribal percussion, pumping rhythms, pulsing beats and thumping grooves,' his bio says.
Advertisement
'This rich exposure laid the groundwork for Reda's fervent pursuit of making house music his lifelong calling. With over 18 years behind the decks, Reda's powerful skill for pushing musical boundaries has become known through his original music and event productions.'
Sunday's discovery marks the fourth body recovered from Newton Creek in the last two years.
Police, who have not publicly identified Briki, said the investigation is ongoing.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
42 minutes ago
- USA Today
Notre Dame star RB Jeremiyah Love has signed a NIL deal with New Balance
You can add yet another Name, Image and Likeness deal for Notre Dame star running back Jeremiyah Love, as he will now partner with New Balance, according to their press release they shared with Fighting Irish Wire. He is their latest star they have signed recently joining former Ohio State stars Marvin Harrison Jr., and Chase Young. Not only that, they have stars like tennis' Coco Gauff, baseball's Shohei Ohtani, and basketball players like Kawhi Leonard, Cooper Flagg and Cameron Brink. It's an elite group of athletes that Love will be joining, as the release stated they were interested in Love due to his 'rare combination of athleticism, intelligence, and heart to everything he does,' said Naveen Lokesh, Head of Global Sports Marketing for American Football and Basketball. It's fairly unique for a college player to having signed with a shoe company before they have left to the professional ranks, and it goes to show you that Love is one of the future faces of the game. Congratulations to Jeremiyah and New Balance on their new partnership. Also, check out our exclusive interview with Love as his discusses the NIL deal, the College Football Playoff, how he started jumping over opponents and more. Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions. Follow Mike on X: @MikeFChen
NBC News
42 minutes ago
- NBC News
Suspect wanted in 'targeted' killings of 4 in Tennessee is captured after manhunt
A murder suspect wanted in connection with the "targeted" July deaths of four people in Tennessee after a baby was discovered abandoned in a person's front yard was captured after a multi-day manhunt. Austin Robert Drummond, 28, was taken into custody, police in Jackson, Tennessee, said Tuesday morning. U.S. Marshals captured him after he was sighted in the area Sunday evening, police said. Drummond, who was last seen on July 29, was wanted on four counts of first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, and gun charges in connection with the deaths of Matthew Wilson, 21; Adrianna Williams, 20; Cortney Rose, 38; and Braydon Williams, 15. Their bodies were found on July 29 in a wooded area near Tiptonville, north of Memphis, according to Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director David Rausch. Authorities have not said how they died or identified a possible motive. Speaking to reporters Friday, Rausch said the killings were not a random act of violence. 'It appears, with all the information that we have, that this was a targeted incident,' he said. The deceased were relatives of an infant who was found abandoned roughly 40 miles south of the wooded area in Tiptonville. The child was found in the front yard of a home after Drummond left the baby there and flagged people down to help, Rausch said. He called the move "a sign of compassion." Officials said Friday that the child was safe and being cared for. Wilson and Adrianna Williams were the infant's parents, according to Danny Goodman, the district attorney for Lake and Dyer counties. Rose was the grandmother, and Braydon was the maternal uncle, he said. A relative of the victims said that Drummond used to date a sister of Rose's. In a Facebook post, the relative said that Drummond had been close to their family. 'He has literally been nothing short of amazing to us and our kids every time he has been around us up until this point,' the post said. Drummond was previously convicted of aggravated robbery and served roughly a decade in prison. He was charged with attempted murder after his release last year and was out on bond at the time of the quadruple homicide, Goodman said. Three people described as associates of Drummond's have been arrested and accused of assisting him. Agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation arrested Tanaka Brown, 29, on Friday, and Giovontie Thomas, 29, on Saturday. Brown and Thomas, both 29, have been charged with accessory after the fact to first-degree murder, the bureau said in a Saturday statement. Brown also faces one count of tampering with evidence. Dearrah Sanders was also charged with accessory after the fact to first-degree murder. She's accused of helping him after the murders, the bureau said in a news release.
Miami Herald
an hour ago
- Miami Herald
Teacher Fired Over Facebook Post Launches Legal Action
A teacher in England who was fired after being accused of an Islamaphobic post on Facebook has launched a legal action. Simon Pearson taught English to foreign students at Preston College, in Lancashire, when he said a social media post that led to a woman being handed a 15-month prison sentence after she was convicted of inciting racial hatred was "obviously wrong" but she "should not have been jailed." He was dismissed after an internal investigation found that his post had the potential to bring the college into disrepute and has now filed legal action with an employment tribunal. Pearson's fate has sparked sharp criticism from free speech advocates and reignited broader debates around freedom of expression in Britain. Critics argue that speech policing, especially on social media, increasingly leads to employment repercussions, even when comments are made outside the workplace and express personal beliefs. Elon Musk has repeatedly criticized the U.K.'s approach to regulating speech on social media, particularly in the context of arrests related to online comments. "At this rate, the UK Government will pretty soon be executing people for liking a meme!" he posted on X, formerly Twitter, in January. The U.S. State Department has previously spoken out about the same case as Pearson, saying in May that is was "concerned about infringements on freedom of expression." Pearson, 56, was fired after he posted a comment about Lucy Connolly, a woman jailed for racially inflammatory comments in the wake of the Southport riots—nationwide unrest triggered by the murder of three girls during a dance class and misinformation about the suspect being an asylum seeker. Connolly, the wife of a local Conservative Party politician, wrote on X: "Mass deportation now, set fire to all the f****** hotels full of the b******* for all I care…if that makes me racist so be it." She was convicted of inciting racial hatred, handed a 31-month sentence and ordered to serve 40 percent of it behind bars in October 2024. Pearson wrote in a Facebook comment that while Connolly's post was "obviously wrong," she "should not have been jailed" and said this was part of "two tier policy from the top down." The phrase "two-tier policing" has become a politically charged accusation in the U.K., often used to criticize perceived inconsistencies in how law enforcement handles speech, protest, or criminal behavior depending on the race, religion, or political identity of the individuals involved. Critics of "two-tier policing" argue that authorities are more lenient toward minority groups—particularly in cases involving Islamist or pro-Palestinian demonstrators, while opponents argue that this framing often serves as a dog whistle, disguising racial resentment or Islamophobia under the banner of fairness and justice. A Muslim representative of the National Education Union at Preston College made a formal complaint about Pearson's post accusing it of being "Islamophobic" and "racially discriminatory." This triggered the investigation that ended in Pearson being fired. He is now claiming wrongful dismissal, unfair dismissal, harassment and discrimination under the Equality Act 2010. "I cannot allow what has happened to me to go unchallenged. It is a grave injustice that should concern everybody who cares about freedom," he told the British newspaper The Telegraph. "I am determined to fight for justice and for the freedom to raise legitimate concerns in public and private as part of national debates on extremely serious issues that impact us all." Newsweek has contacted Preston College, via email, for comment. Simon Pearson's full Facebook comment: "The woman who made that appalling comment about the mosque in Southport is obviously wrong. But where is the jail sentence for the Labour MP calling for people to have their throats slit. Where is the justice meted out against those thugs who beat up the police at Manchester airport? She should not have been jailed for that. People presumed the worst and were outraged by the killing of three little girls. "It was wrong but how many Islamists plots and crimes have been experienced in our country. The Manchester Arena bombing, Lee Rigby, etc... Certain sections of society calling for the genocide of Jews from the river to the sea are also free to express their opinions and make Jewish people afraid to walk the streets. "There is a two tier policy from the top down. Has our country's woke leadership lost its mind? Should we be seeking asylum in America?" Founder of the Free Speech Union, Lord Young of Acton said: "The most striking aspect of this case is that the teacher was sacked at the behest of the NEU. Once upon a time, trade unions used to stick up for workers threatened with the sack for speaking out of turn. Now, they side with management and actively try to get workers sacked, including their dues-paying members." Head of the Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division at the U.K.'s Crown Prosecution Service, Frank Ferguson, said about the Connolly case: "Using threatening, abusive or insulting language to rile up racism online is unacceptable and is breaking the law." The U.S. State Department commented on the Connolly case in May, saying: "We can confirm that we are monitoring this matter. The United States supports freedom of expression at home and abroad, and remains concerned about infringements on freedom of expression." An employment tribunal will decide whether Pearson's dismissal was fair and lawful. A date for the hearing has yet to be confirmed. The case comes amid wider debate over free speech rights in the U.K., particularly as public figures such as Musk have expressed concern about government responses to social media posts. Related Articles Laura Loomer Files New Supreme Court Petition-'Accountability Is Coming'Shelter Scans Stray Dog's Microchip-Unprepared for the Call That FollowsTears as Shelter Dog With Broken Teeth Patiently Waits To Be NoticedNeighbor Rescues Injured Cat-X-Ray Reveals the Unthinkable 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
