Real-Life 'Home Alone 2 Bird Lady,' 63, Found Dead in Central Park — as Accused Killer Claims Self-Defense: 'She Hit Me!'
Francis Lee Rogers was found dead in Central Park.
Oct. 2 2026, Published 4:00 p.m. ET
Francis Lee Rogers, who drew comparisons to the Pigeon Lady character in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, was found dead, as her accused killer claims it was self-defense, RadarOnline has learned.
Rogers was a longtime Central Park artist known for painting birds and maintaining feeders in the Ramble.
Crime Details
Francis Lee Rogers was found dead last month.
Rogers, 63, also known as Elise Bainbridge Hill, was discovered Sunday, September 27, inside the Rustic Shelter gazebo in Central Park's Ramble, where she had lived in and around the park for decades and often slept.
According to a publication, Rogers was found barefoot and covered in dirt, with multiple stab wounds and severe head injuries. Her distinctive long, graying hair, typically worn in braids, was shaved off, according to reports.
There is a witness who claims Rogers had cuts on her head and hands, and sticks were discovered with blood on them.
Jonathan Robles Claims Self-defense
She was found dead in Central Park.
A suspect named Jonathan Robles turned himself in to police later that day. The 36-year-old told authorities he was threatened in the park before admitting to having killed Rogers.
Robles claimed he was defending himself, saying that Rogers attacked him first.
"She hit me on my body with a stick, so I took the stick from her. I hit her with it more than 20 times. I did it until she couldn't hit me anymore," Robles told detectives.
He is charged with murder and faces a weapon-possession charge, is being held without bail, and a judge ordered a psychiatric evaluation.
Robles appeared in a hearing via a hospital because of a hand injury, and he is represented by attorney Mitchell Schuman. Prosecutors said the two had previously been involved in hostile encounters. Schuman said that his client suffers from mental illness.
"The court ordered a psychiatric evaluation to see whether Mr. Robles is mentally fit to proceed with this case. It is very clear that he suffers from a serious mental illness and once the evaluations are completed, that issue will be dealt with in court," Schuman noted.
Prosecutors said a grand jury had indicted Robles, scheduled to return to court October 13.
A Beloved Homeless Artist
She painted things she enjoyed in Central Park
Rogers lived in Central Park, and her connection with birds was strong, having spent decades in the Ramble painting birds and maintaining homemade bird feeders undisturbed.
Amongst the New York City birdwatchers community, she was a respectable figure, somewhat between a living tourist attraction and friendly neighbor for park regulars.
She painted intricate watercolors of Central Park wildlife while sleeping rough. Rogers was homeless, with her life being documented in a 2007 film, Begging N-ked.
"For years, she was the only person maintaining those bird feeders in the Ramble," wildlife photographer Lincoln Karim, who knew Rogers for roughly 25 years, once said. "She would spend hundreds of dollars on birdseed and suet."
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Rogers was compared to the Pigeon Lady from 'Home Alone 2.'
Friend Joe Lopez said Rogers had been responsible for the bird feeders for a period.
Rogers sold hundreds of paintings over roughly three decades, largely through word of mouth among birdwatchers. She regularly painted at the Boathouse cafe near windows overlooking the Ramble.
Her smaller works sold for about $300, and one large oil painting brought $1,200.
