Workers at P.S./I.S. 113 Anthony J. Pranzo in Glendale made a grim discovery on Tuesday morning: a body lodged inside the school’s chimney, just days after the city’s school year ended. A janitor first noticed a strong, pungent odor and called in maintenance and an exterminator. During an inspection, a contractor opened the chimney’s ash dump, triggering a police response and leaving neighbors in the area shaken. Officials said police were notified shortly before 9 a.m., and authorities have said the medical examiner will determine how the person died.
According to NBC New York, the exterminator opened the ash dump, spotted a shoe and then felt what turned out to be a human foot. The contractor immediately called police, who arrived at the under-construction school just before 9 a.m. on Tuesday. It was not immediately clear how long the body had been inside the chimney.
School background and location
P.S./I.S. 113 Anthony J. Pranzo is a K–8 school in Community School District 24. The Department of Education’s school table lists the building at 78-23 87th Street in Glendale. The campus sits in the Ridgewood–Glendale area of Queens and serves both elementary and middle-school programs. With the school year just ended, there were no regular students or staff inside the building when the discovery was made.
Investigation and next steps
The NYPD has opened an investigation, and the city’s Office of Chief Medical Examiner, which investigates unexplained and suspicious deaths, will examine the remains to determine cause and manner of death. Police have not released the victim’s identity and have not said whether foul play is suspected. Anyone with information is asked to contact the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS.
As NBC New York noted, the outlet reached out to the Department of Education for comment, but the DOE had not issued a public statement as of Tuesday afternoon. This story will be updated as officials release more information.
