let's go. >> brian watkins ran after him. one of the attackers gary morales had a knife. >> you go like this. and then runs up the stairs. >> brian was stabbed and soon collapsed. within minutes, the 911 calls started coming in. brian's mother ran to a pay phone frantically pleading for help. >> they stabbed him in the heart. >> is he awake? >> nono he's not. he's unconscious. >> brian watkins died on the way to the hospital. he was just 22 years old. >> they want to target some young killers. media reaction to this murder? >> almost inducing a wave of panic. >> it is the terror of life in new york city. one is safe from random violence. >> new york in 1990 was a city under siege. the worst year of crime in the city's history. >> i dress for the muggers. >> i wear flat shoes so i can run. >> most terrifying was underground. 25 years ago the man responsible for policing the transit system was bill bratton. >> it was a terrifying time. there was no denying that crime was out of control. >> bratton is widely recognized as one of

of his crime who were all still in prison. >> i interviewed gary morales, who actually stabbed brian watkins. i interviewed fernandez who slashed mr. watkins and both admitted they were involved and both said johnny was not. >> hughes also watched the original interrogation videos and for the first time he saw how that other suspect told cops that hincapie and another teen were not at the crime scene. >> they all needed money? >> johnny and kevin, no. >> hughes was intrigued, especially when he heard the suspect said a second time that hincapie was not involved. >> so there were eight people surrounding -- >> no six. >> there was six, okay. fathom admitting something you nobody would think they're capable of doing it, but the could get you or i to admit we kidnapped the lindbergh baby. >> he wrote an article about hincapie's situation for a magazine called "city limits." >> nobody really cared. >> and the years continued to pass. >> we've been in prison with johnny for 23 years. >> we, all our family. >> alex is johnny's younger brother. he was 15 when johnny was arrested. >> i pray for my b

he's unconscious. >> brian watkins died on the way to the hospital. he was just 22 years old. >> they want to target some young killers. >> how would you describe the media reaction to this murder? panic. new york city. violence. the worst year of crime in the city's history. >> i dress for the muggers. >> i wear flat shoes so i can run. >> most terrifying was underground. 25 years ago the man responsible for policing the transit system was bill bratton. >> it was a terrifying time. there was no denying that crime was out of control. >> bratton is widely recognized as one of the nation's top cops. he's run the police departments of america's two largest cities. today he's on his second tour as new york city's police commissioner. >> just to put it in perspective that the murders of 1990, compare that to other years. >> there is no comparison. 1990, 2000 243. last year 333. >> but it was the 1,585 homicide that the police commissioner says caused everyone to pay attention. >> i'm angry. of course i am. >> beginning with then mayor david denkins. >> dav