Shopping car with burning body parts discovered in New York
In the New York City suburb of Yonkers, firefighters were called to a blaze under a bridge. After extinguishing the fire, they discovered a lifeless body in a shopping cart. The trail led quickly to a house in the Bronx.
It's still early morning in Yonkers, New York, when firefighters make a grim discovery: human remains burning in a shopping cart placed under a bridge. Who placed the body parts there and set them ablaze remains unclear, as reported by NBC New York. However, the trail leads investigators to a house in the Bronx.
Reports indicate that firefighters were alerted to a fire under a bridge last Monday morning. After the fire was extinguished, the body became visible. The responding police suspected that the body was likely set on fire at the scene but not killed there, so they handed the case over to the New York Police Department.
The NYPD quickly linked the discovery to a house in the Bronx. A surveillance video led them there. The footage shows a man pushing the same shopping cart, later found ablaze, onto a tram. The video was recorded in the 44th Precinct in the Bronx, according to a high-ranking NYPD officer who spoke to NBC New York. It's unclear what specific details led investigators to the house.
Preventing identification of the body
During a search of the house on Roger Place in the Bronx, police found more body parts in the kitchen, according to the US broadcaster. Two hands were found in a pot, and two feet were in the freezer. A gun and drug paraphernalia were also found in the bedroom.
The murder could have taken place in the house, investigators suspect. They believe the victim was killed there, then placed in the shopping cart for transport by train to Yonkers for logistical reasons.
The condition of the body was notable, with hands, feet, and teeth missing. Authorities suspect that dismembering the body and scattering the remains was intended to slow down the identification process. "If you remove the hands, you can't take fingerprints, and if the teeth are gone, dental identification is also impossible," explained former US law enforcement officer Terence Monahan to the station.
The expert also praised the cooperation between different agencies, noting the impressive number of leads already gathered. However, no suspects have been identified yet, and the investigation continues.
The gruesome discovery under the bridge in Yonkers sparked a criminal investigation, as the body was suspected to have been set on fire and transported there. The investigation led police to a house in the Bronx, where they discovered more body parts and potential evidence of the crime.
The dismemberment of the body and the scattering of remains suggest that the perpetrator aimed to hinder the identification process, as pointed out by former US law enforcement officer Terence Monahan.
