The missing Vox Pop Coffee Shop Statue of Liberty story takes a gruesome turn.

A video was sent to the NY Daily News on July 4th. Later it was released on YouTube, showing the beheading and smashing of the statue. On the screen appear slogans like "We don't want
your freedom" and "Death to America."

"I'm scared. I'm hoping I don't have to fear for my life, but I feel very nervous," Debi Ryan, manager of the Vox Pop told the Daily News. Debi Ryan, manager of Vox Pop, a cafe and performance space known for its progressive politics posted this on her Facebook page: "In
spite of what you may have read, I am not in fear for my life, I do not
feel personally targeted and I don't believe it was trying to shut us
up. If they were targeting what we represent, then I guess they were
targeting community. Because, to me, that is what Vox Pop represents.
And I for one will not let this incident change that." She did tell the Daily News: "This was clearly politically motivated. Whoever did this is trying to shut us up. They were targeting what we represent," she said.

Tom Martinez, pastor of the All Souls Bethlehem Church viewed the video on a computer at Vox Pop. "The violence against the statue and the way it was carried out is deeply disturbing," Martinez told me in a phone interview.  "The smashing of the severed head after the beheading: I watched it thinking does this look like a prank or something more serious. To me it looks like  something more serious."

It is unknown as to who is responsible for this and why. The NYPD, the FBI and Homeland Security are on the case. "Whoever did it created a background created a background that makes it difficult to tell where it was taped.  It looks like the body of a grown adult carrying out the action. You have to remember the statue is pretty large and very heavy," Martinez said.

The 8-foot fiberglass figure was stolen from the sidewalk in
front of the Cortelyou Road coffeehouse in the early morning hours of July 21. A reward of $250 was offered.