A routine cleanout at a Crown Heights apartment building turned into something far darker on Thursday when workers found a man’s body stuffed inside a couch, police said. The decomposing remains were discovered in a multiunit building near Union Street and Utica Avenue, and officers quickly secured the scene. Authorities have not released the victim’s name and said the city medical examiner will determine how and when he died.
Police were first dispatched to the building earlier in the day on a separate 911 call about a reported burglary, then returned after the cleaners made the discovery, according to the New York Daily News. Detectives were called in to process the apartment, document the scene and launch a formal investigation into what happened.
Autopsy And Forensic Steps
The city's Office of Chief Medical Examiner will perform an autopsy to determine the cause and time of death, a standard procedure in suspicious or unattended fatalities. Those examinations can take several days as officials run toxicology and other forensic tests that could help the NYPD tighten the timeline and circumstances surrounding the man’s death.
Scene Details And Building Context
Police said the same caller who initially reported a burglary phoned 911 again after the cleaning crew found the body, having apparently mistaken the workers for intruders at first. The building includes units for residents with mental disabilities, according to officials and neighbors who spoke with investigators. As reported by the New York Daily News, police are still working to identify the man, and no arrests have been announced.
Investigation Ongoing
Detectives are continuing to piece together how the body ended up inside the couch and how long it may have been there. No additional details were immediately available. Authorities have asked anyone with information to contact the NYPD while the medical examiner completes the autopsy and investigators work to notify the man’s next of kin.
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