Logo

The creepy writing is on the wall in the West Village, where an alleged “serial grifter” has taken to scribbling messages in the common areas, her tormented roommate claims.

“The darkest hour is right before the DAWN,” Kate Gladstone allegedly scrawled in pink marker in Heidi Russell’s Barrow Street kitchen, Russell said.

Gladstone, 44, a Pittsburgh native who has been squatting with her daughter in Russell’s two-bedroom co-op for more than a year, is now protected by the state’s pandemic eviction ban until at least Oct. 1.

She wrote a second message on the wall of the living room, but later crossed it out in dark blue marker, said Russell, who sued Gladstone in Manhattan Federal Court before withdrawing the case.

The bizarre missives come as neighbors are trying to help the financially-strapped Russell, who won an eviction against Gladstone in January but is now stuck with her until the state moratorium is lifted.

A GoFundMe with a $10,000 goal has been established to aid Russell, who was laid off in October.

“I have no idea what this woman and child will do to ‘keep’ this apartment,” Russell told The Post. “Try to frame me for something? They talk about my apartment as their ‘home’ — like they will never leave until they are forced to.”

1 of 6
Heidi Russell APT ON Barrow Street.
Heidi Russell's apartment on Barrow StreetHeidi Russell
THIS IS WHAT THE APT LOOKED LIKE BEFORE Katherine Klein AKA KATE GLADSTONE MOVED IN
What the apartment looked like before Kate Gladstone moved in.
Advertisement
Heidi Russell
Heidi RussellJ.C.Rice
Kate Gladstone
Kate Gladstone
Advertisement

Meanwhile Gladstone, who could afford a Whole Foods delivery last week but has refused to pay any rent in months, faces a Sept. 16 appearance in criminal court on grand larceny and forgery charges and allegedly violating an order of protection to stay away from an ex-girlfriend, whose credit cards she allegedly stole.

Additional reporting by Georgett Roberts

Comments
anonymous profile image
Powered by RoundtableBuilt on infrastructure designed for real-time media. Learn more at RTB.io.© Roundtable 2026. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy