The NYPD is hoping a set of unique tattoos, including a cluster featuring three names, found on a dismembered body dumped in Queens can be used to identify the victim.
The human torso was discovered by sanitation workers doing their rounds around 8 a.m. Tuesday. The workers called authorities after they noticed a particularly foul odor coming from a discarded trash bag wrapped in tape and rope, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny confirmed during a press conference Thursday.
The incomplete corpse was found along a route in Idlewild Park, a preserve north of JFK Airport.
Police officials confirmed Thursday that the remains were missing a head, arms and legs and said the victim appears to be a woman of Guyanese descent.
Officials are hopeful the victim’s “several unique and identifiable tattoos” can be used to identify her through open missing persons cases.
“It wasn’t decomposed to the point where we could still see and make out very clearly the tattoos that were on the body, which were three names and a flower. So we’re working through the missing persons reports to match up those names and those tattoos,” Kenny said.
Kenny explained that the torso was relatively untouched, save for a broken rib from when she was dropped and the apparent dismemberment that a forensic anthropologist surmised was done with “straight edge instruments” like a knife or saw.
Cops have a possible lead, but didn’t reveal more details Thursday.
“We do have a case that we’re very interested in, but we’re not going to make any notification to the family until we can determine what more is going on. So this is going to be handled as circumstances undetermined pending police investigation for now,” Kenny said.
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