The New York Police Department (NYPD) Harbor Unit officers retrieved a suitcase containing a headless male torso from the East River Wednesday evening, February 5, 2025, marking the city’s second discovery of human remains this week.
Ferry operators near Governors Island spotted the floating luggage at 5:30 p.m. “The human remains found stuffed in a suitcase floating off Manhattan in the East River consisted of a man’s headless dismembered torso,” police confirmed Thursday.
The Harbor Unit transported the suitcase to Pier 16 in Manhattan’s Financial District, where Emergency Medical Services personnel examined the remains, which were found wrapped in a sleeping bag.
The discovery came just 24 hours after Queens police found another body. “A man was found dead with his hands bound in a grassy area on the side of the Clearview Expressway,” NYPD officials reported. Medical examiners are working to identify both victims and determine their causes of death.
While treating the East River case as suspicious, investigators have not classified it as a homicide pending forensic analysis. The medical examiner’s office has begun extensive testing to establish the victim’s identity and time of death as detectives review missing persons reports from across the five boroughs.
The case has drawn comparisons to a September 2022 Brooklyn homicide that led to changes in NYPD protocols. In that incident, authorities discovered a 22-year-old woman’s remains in two suitcases inside her apartment. Her ex-boyfriend, Justin Williams, faces murder charges for allegedly dismembering the victim and concealing her body while continuing to live in the residence for a month. Court records show he used cleaning products to mask evidence, leading to enhanced training for patrol officers in identifying potential crime scenes.
Authorities have not yet confirmed how long the body had been in the water or whether they have identified any potential suspects or persons of interest in connection with how the individual ended up in the suitcase. Investigators will meticulously review surveillance footage from waterfront locations, hoping to track any suspicious activity or movements related to the discovery.
The NYPD’s missing persons unit is collaborating with neighboring jurisdictions to cross-check recent disappearances that could match the victim’s profile. Law enforcement has also established a dedicated tip line to generate leads, urging the public to come forward with any relevant information that could aid both ongoing investigations.