Body without head found on New York beach
The discovery of a torso on a beach in New York initially presents investigators with a mystery. Officially, the cause of death and identity of the person are still unknown. However, the police reportedly have a suspicion: the deceased could be an Irish filmmaker.
A body with no head or arms was found on a stretch of beach in New York City last Friday. The dead person could be the Irish filmmaker and photographer Ross McDonnell, according to various US media reports. The 44-year-old has been missing since the beginning of November.
Officers were called to the scene where the body was found on Breezy Point Beach in the New York borough of Queens at 12.20 p.m. last Friday. On Saturday, they initially announced that an "unidentified" torso with legs had been found in the sand. Both the head and arms were no longer attached to the body. Whether it was a male or female remained unclear at first. "The identity of the deceased will not be released until the family has been notified," the New York authorities said in a statement.
Around a day later, the police apparently have a hunch: they believe that the human torso is McDonnell's body, as the "New York Post" reported, citing a source from the New York Police Department. According to the report, investigators are waiting for the results of a DNA test before making a statement. Officially, the identity of the dead person is still unknown. In addition, officials can only speculate about the cause of death, as the autopsy results are still pending.
Missing man's bicycle found on the beach
However, the investigators assume that McDonnell drowned, the report continues. His body was then mangled in the ocean by waves, animals and sharp rocks before being washed ashore. "With the churning currents and rocks, this kind of thing is not unusual," the newspaper quotes a police spokesman as saying.
McDonnell was last seen on the evening of November 4, when he had left his home in the New York borough of Brooklyn. He was reportedly riding his bicycle on the Rockaway peninsula in Queens. Three days after his disappearance, the bike was found locked up near a popular beach resort about five kilometers from Breezy Point Beach. A friend of McDonnell's, Gene Gallerano, told the Irish Times that he was apparently on the beach but then "went into the sea" before disappearing.
Police are now continuing to search for clues. The focus is on McDonnell's clothing at the time of his disappearance - a red Northface vest, black and white sneakers and dark khaki pants. There is also no trace of his rucksack.
McConnell, who is originally from Dublin, won an Emmy in 2021 for his camera work in the series "The Trade". The "Showtime" series is about the opioid crisis in the USA. The filmmaker has already traveled through various countries such as Afghanistan, Ukraine and Mexico for his documentaries.
The police are investigating the possibility that the missing Irish filmmaker Ross McDonnell is the identity behind the torso found on Breezy Point Beach in New York City. This discovery is particularly concerning as it occurred in an international location, which adds complexity to the investigation.
Source: www.ntv.de
