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Published November 21, 2023, 5:38 PM ET
The headless, armless torso that washed up on a Queens beach last week likely belongs to acclaimed Irish filmmaker and photographer Ross McDonnell, who police now say drowned while “swimming wildly” in the sea.
Friends of McDonnell’s identified a distinctive birthmark and red Adidas swim trunks found on the remains that matched those of the 44-year-old Emmy winner, who was last seen leaving his Brooklyn home more than two weeks ago, Joseph Kenny said, Chief of the New York Police Department Tuesday.
Police are still waiting for the coroner to test McDonnell’s DNA, but believe the Irishman – who loved to “swim wildly in the sea or other natural waters” – took a late swim around 10:30 p.m. One of his Favorite spots near Fort Tilden Beach on Nov. 4, Kenny said.
Despite his skills in the water, McDonnell disappeared into the waves that night.
“He was known to have done this and it appears he drowned,” Kenny told reporters.
A fisherman found the dismembered body Friday outside the Silver Gull Beach Club near Breezy Point on the Rockaway Peninsula.
“The body was discovered without a head or arms, which would be an indication that the surf is very rough over there,” Kenny said.
Police believe the torso that washed up on a Queens beach Friday may be that of missing Irish filmmaker Ross McDonnell. Ross McDonnell / Facebook McDonnell is from Dublin and often traveled abroad for work. Ross McDonnell / Facebook
“The way it was described to me was like churning a washing machine,” the boss continued. “The rocking of the body and the impact with the rocks may have caused the limbs and head to be removed.”
The authorities do not believe there was a crime.
McDonnell’s bike was found locked at Fort Tilden Beach on Nov. 7, indicating he planned to retrieve it, Kenny said.
“According to friends, he did that sometimes,” Kenny said. “He would sometimes leave for days to go out and do his thing.”
His disappearance shocked close friends like Gene Gallerano, who told The Irish Times last week that no one knew much about what happened.
McDonnell had likely traveled to Fort Tilden Beach shortly before his disappearance. Peter Gerber
“He was last seen last Saturday evening; The alarm was raised on Sunday. We don’t know much more than that,” Gallerano said. “It was a very, very emotionally difficult week.”
McDonnell disappeared from his Brooklyn home earlier this month. Ross McDonnell / Facebook
Around noon on Nov. 17, police received a call about a human torso lying with its legs still attached in the sand at the popular south Queens beach, police said.
The terrible condition of the body meant authorities could not immediately say how the person died, or even their age and gender.
But clues led police to the identity of the body.
A U.S. Park Police bloodhound followed the trail to the edge of a rocky walkway, where officers found some of McDonnell’s clothing, Kenny said.
Police have not yet definitively identified McDonnell — they are awaiting DNA evidence, the NYPD said. Peter Gerber McDonnell’s bike was found locked on the beach days after his disappearance, which police said suggested he would return. Ross McDonnell / Facebook
Friends who gathered at the scene after learning that authorities had recovered a body brought photos – one showing McDonnell in the same swimsuit found on the torso, while another showed a birthmark of his that was with him matched the one found on the remains, the chief said.
Police are still trying to get video from the marine park that could show McDonnell heading toward the waves, Kenny added.
The Dublin native, who often traveled abroad, won an Emmy in 2021 for his cinematography on the Showtime series The Trade.
His first feature film, “Colony,” premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and won the IDFA First Feature Award and an Irish Film and Television Award nomination, according to an online biography.
McDonnell was shortlisted for the world’s premier photography award, Prix Pictet, in the 2019 cycle with the theme “Hope”.
He was nominated for another Emmy in 2018 for directing the documentary “Elian,” which was produced by CNN Films, BBC and Jigsaw Productions.
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