Who Was Francis Lee Rogers? Beloved Homeless Artist Whose Life Inspired ‘Home Alone 2’ Bird Lady Character Found Dead in Central Park

A Central Park woman known as the “bird lady,” whose life closely resembled the beloved character from Home Alone 2, was found murdered with her head shaved. The suspect accused of killing her now claims the deadly violence followed an argument. Francis Lee Rogers, also known as Elise Bainbridge Hill, was found dead near a small gazebo in New York City’s Central Park on Sunday.

The 63-year-old homeless woman was popular among birdwatchers in the park. Her life was often compared to the Pigeon Lady, played by Brenda Fricker in the 1992 classic Home Alone 2. In the movie, Fricker’s character forms an unlikely friendship with Macaulay Culkin’s Kevin McCallister.

Shocking Death

Rogers spent years painting detailed watercolors of wildlife around the park while living on the streets nearby, further fueling comparisons to the Pigeon Lady. Her story was also featured in the acclaimed 2007 documentary Begging Naked.

Rogers was found barefoot and covered in dirt near a bloodstained piece of a stick, NYPD sources told The New York Times. Her trademark long gray hair had been shaved off, exposing serious head injuries. Hours later, fellow homeless man Jonathan Robles, 36, walked into a police station and allegedly confessed to the killing.

Robles appeared virtually at his arraignment on Thursday from a hospital, where he was being treated for an injury to his hand. Prosecutors said he told investigators that he and Rogers had argued before the attack, NBC New York reported.

Court documents state that Robles told police, “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.” “When she did the bird feeders, the birders loved her. They would buy her artwork in the park.”

Confessions of a Killer

Rogers had endured a troubled and unconventional life long before becoming a familiar presence in Central Park. Her story was featured in the acclaimed 2007 documentary Begging Naked, filmed by her friend Karen Gehres over nearly 10 years.

The documentary chronicled Rogers’ journey after she left home as a teenager and moved to New York. She later became involved in prostitution and drug addiction, worked as a stripper, and eventually developed her skills as an artist. The natural surroundings she encountered became a major source of inspiration for her paintings.

Rogers eventually became homeless and began living in and around Central Park, where her artwork increasingly centered on the wildlife and scenery around her. “For many years I was homeless,” Rogers wrote on her website. “I worked on my paintings at the Central Park boathouse.” Her paintings of wildlife gradually earned her a loyal following among regular visitors to the park.