A 29-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the fatal beating of a pioneering Black rock musician from the Bronx. Sharief Bodden, 29, was charged on January 17, 2025, in the death of Peter Forrest, 64, known by his stage name P. Fluid. Forrest had been the frontman of the influential Bronx rock band 24/7 Spyz.
The band was part of a groundbreaking wave of Black-led rock groups in the 1980s, alongside acts like Living Colour and Fishbone, blending heavy metal, funk, R&B, punk, and other genres. One of 24/7 Spyz’s most well-known songs was a cover of Kool & the Gang’s “Jungle Boogie.” Forrest left the band during their 1990 tour with Jane’s Addiction, according to Rolling Stone. The Black Rock Coalition, a collective of Black musicians and artists based in New York, honored Forrest as a pivotal figure in the band’s history, describing him as one of the most creative and dynamic frontmen with unmatched stage presence.
Forrest’s body was discovered unconscious and severely beaten inside an ambulette bus he drove for a living. Authorities confirmed he was pronounced dead at the scene from blunt force trauma to his head and torso. Surveillance footage obtained by News 12 Bronx shows a man leaving the bus around 9 a.m. and getting into another vehicle with a woman. An hour later, another worker found Forrest’s body in the van.
Bodden has been charged with murder, manslaughter, criminal possession of a controlled substance, and criminal possession of a weapon. As of now, there is no attorney listed for him in the state’s court records. The Bronx District Attorney’s office did not provide comment when contacted on January 18, 2025.
