Peter Braunstein (born January 26, 1964) is an American former journalist, writer and playwright who became infamous for committing an October 31, 2005 rape and leading police on a multi-state manhunt until his capture and self-injury in Memphis, Tennessee on December 16, 2005. Dubbed the "Halloween rapist", the "fake firefighter", "fire fiend", and other names by the media, Braunstein became the most wanted man in New York City, a dubious honor often reserved for murderers, mobsters, or terrorists. Braunstein formerly worked as a writer for Women's Wear Daily and The Village Voice, and his former colleagues avidly followed the case on blogs. His trial in May 2007 drew a lot of media attention. It lasted four weeks, during which the victim testified at length about the attack, a former girlfriend testified about their relationship, and excerpts from Braunstein's journal were read into the record. Defense lawyers tried to argue diminished capacity, claiming Braunstein suffered an organic brain disorder with effects similar to paranoid schizophrenia that made him delusional and incapable of intent. The jury was not convinced and convicted him of 10 counts of kidnapping, burglary, robbery and sexual abuse, though he was acquitted on the charge of arson. He is currently serving his 18-year-to-life sentence at Five Points Correctional Facility; he will be eligible for parole in 2023. Biography Peter Braunstein was born to Alberto and Angele Braunstein in Kew Gardens, Queens, New York City. His father was a Manhattan gallery owner. Braunstein studied abroad at Sorbonne in Paris and is fluent in French. He came back to New York to pursue a PhD in history from NYU. In 2000, he got a job at W, writing mostly about the history and culture of rock music. He also freelanced for the publications mentioned above. He began dating his coworker, W beauty editor Jane Larkworthy. After breaking up with her, Braunstein started using the magazine's website as a blog to harass his ex-girlfriend, whom he referred to as "BioHazard". He was charged with 37 counts of harassment, pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to three years probation. According to the victim, Braunstein harassed her for 18 months, taped her hands to a chair, sent frightening emails and phone messages to her coworkers and family, and posted her naked photos and personal information on an adult web site. On November 22, 2004, Braunstein cut his own chest with a knife and then