An East Shoreham homeowner made a grim discovery in their backyard on Sunday afternoon upon opening their pool for the season—an unidentified body floating beneath the cover. According to CBS News, Suffolk County Police have since been investigating the incident and pronounced that an autopsy will be necessary to determine both the identity of the deceased and the cause of death.
Disturbance has rippled through the neighborhood, with residents like Sharon Healey expressing shock about the find. "It's just so disturbing. You take your pool cover off and... I mean, what if there was young children around or the poor family?" Healey told CBS News. Another local, Peter Gawrelek, commented on the unusual nature of someone being under a pool cover, considering it "not a smart thing to do."
The case takes a potentially darker turn as investigators are exploring a possible connection to a manhunt last fall for fugitive Matthew Zoll, wanted for the stabbing death of his father. The discovery occurred in the same area where intense searches had taken place. As reported by the New York Post, Suffolk County police are currently working to confirm if the body is indeed Zoll's, who reportedly suffers from schizophrenia and fled after allegedly murdering his father.
Sources close to the investigation have disclosed that the backyard where the body was found adjoins a wooded area leading directly to the William Floyd Parkway, the same vicinity where Zoll was reported to have abandoned a crashed vehicle shortly after the alleged murder. "We can’t speculate any specific identity," Suffolk cops informed the New York Post,, despite growing speculations tying the cases together.
The medical examiner's office is undertaking an autopsy to validate the identity and investigate potential causes of death, which could range from drowning to hypothermia or suffocation. This case promises renewed attention from law enforcement and the community as it strives for closure on last fall's tragic events.
