Entergy workers in the Leonidas neighborhood stumbled onto a grim discovery today when a powerful, decaying odor led them to human remains in the 8100 block of Willow Street. New Orleans Emergency Medical Services later confirmed the remains were human, and police have since opened an investigation. Authorities have not released any details about who the person was or how long the remains had been there.
According to WWLTV, Entergy personnel contacted the New Orleans Police Department yesterday after tracing the overwhelming smell and spotting the remains. New Orleans EMS responded to the scene and confirmed to investigators that the remains were human, the outlet reported. The NOPD has preliminarily labeled the case an unclassified death and said it did not have further updates.
Where it happened
The find was reported in the Leonidas neighborhood along the 8100 block of Willow Street. Officials have not said if the exact spot is a home, an empty lot or a utility right of way, and they have not offered more detail about the immediate surroundings. Police communications identified only the block as the location of the discovery.
Similar discoveries around the city
When human remains surface in New Orleans, cases are often logged as unclassified deaths while detectives and the coroner work to put a name and a story to the person. In January, a body pulled from the Mississippi River near Crescent Park received that same classification from NOPD, according to WDSU. In May 2025, investigators found a mummified body inside a Lakeview home that was packed with severe hoarding conditions, FOX 8 reported.
Investigation status
The NOPD has assigned detectives to the case and is working with other agencies as needed. As of Friday, the department had no additional public information to share, officials told WWLTV. The Orleans Parish Coroner's Office would typically conduct forensic testing to confirm the person's identity and determine how they died as the investigation moves forward.
