Brooklyn neighbors smelled foul odor before head and torso were found in building trash
Residents of a Brooklyn apartment building said a foul odor hung around one unit for several days, and police later found human remains in the building’s garbage.
The discovery shocked neighbors and drew officers to the scene.
Police say a man’s head and torso were found wrapped in plastic inside a trash bag outside a unit on East 21st Street; authorities say the bags had been dumped at about 9:15 a.m. on Friday.
The building superintendent reportedly saw a tenant place the garbage bags into the communal receptacle, a detail authorities said helped focus investigators on that unit.
Investigators were working to determine the timeline and gather any evidence from inside the apartment.
Authorities say the tenant who handled the trash was the roommate and boyfriend of the deceased, and police arrested Christopher Moss, 38, charging him with concealment of a human corpse.
He was taken into custody while detectives continued their work at the scene.
Neighbors told reporters the odor had been noticeable for several days and that it became overwhelming when the unit’s door was opened.
People said the stench could be detected down the hallway even with doors shut.
“As soon as that door opened that whiff would just smack you in the face,” a man who lived next door to the couple told the station. “And we would have the door closed, but like you’d be on the other side of the apartment from the entrance, and you would still smell it. It definitely was the body.”
Other neighbors said they often saw the couple smoking outside.
Some noticed one tenant leaving quickly after loud noises came from the unit.
Officials said the head and torso were wrapped in plastic and discarded in a blue trash bin, and detectives treated the find as part of an active criminal inquiry.
They cataloged evidence and worked with the medical examiner to move the investigation forward.
“I just see a lot of flies,” Danielle, another apartment building resident, told the station.
“I don’t know what’s going on. I just see a lot of flies.
“A lot of flies flying around. It’s crazy.”
Neighbors said they heard a violent physical interaction from the unit and afterward saw one of the tenants entering and exiting the unit in a hurry.
“They would start like arguing with each other, and you would just hear boom boom boom … screams,” one neighbor told the station.
After that, he said, people noticed quick movements in and out of the apartment with bags.
The victim has not yet been publicly identified, and a medical examiner has not determined the cause of death.
Officials said they are continuing to investigate and would provide updates when appropriate.
Residents said the discovery left them unsettled and that many are still processing what happened in their building.
Investigators canvassed the building and interviewed residents as they sought to establish when the odor began and who had access to the unit.
Officials said they would release further information after they complete forensic testing and identification procedures.
