Brooklyn man, 75, is found rotting in a chair at home surrounded by biohazard canisters and “weapons of mass destruction schemes” – sparking an FBI investigation
- An unidentified 75-year-old man was found dead at his Cypress Hills home
- Police were alerted to the 101st Avenue apartment for a wellness check
- The body had begun to decompose and was said to have been dead for at least a week
- Man was surrounded by canisters with biohazard labels, various schemes and drawings depicting weapons of mass destruction
- Initial radiation tests of both the canisters and the apartment were negative
A 75-year-old man was found dead in his Brooklyn apartment surrounded by biohazard canisters and schematics of weapons of mass destruction.
The man, who has yet to be identified by police, was found Wednesday afternoon during a wellness check in Cypress Hills and was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to NBC New York, he was discovered sitting in a chair and has been believed to have been dead for at least a week.
Police officers wore hazmat suits to remove the man’s decomposing body from the home.
The discovery of the body and canisters marked with biohazard labels prompted a joint investigation by the NYPD’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and the FBI.
The body was found on a chair in the apartment surrounded by canisters with biohazard labels, wiring diagrams and drawings
Drawings and schematics found with the canisters depict weapons of mass destruction, according to a report by patch said.
Police say the schematics came from an unknown infrastructure.
Initial tests on the canisters for radiation and toxic chemicals were negative, while additional tests on sealed jars were uninvestigated.
While some canisters were labeled for hazardous materials, police were unable to confirm if they actually contained chemicals.
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection’s air quality tests in the apartment found no chemicals, which did not require the building to be evacuated.
Police are questioning a link between the schematics and the canisters that sparked the initial joint investigation.
Tests on the canisters and the air in the apartment for radioactive or toxic substances were negative
Police responded to a wellness check at the second-story apartment on 101st Avenue, only to find a decomposing body
The discovery of the canisters and schematics depicting weapons of mass destruction sparked a joint investigation between the NYPD’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and the FBI
The city’s environmental agency found no hazardous chemicals in the apartment’s air
A cause of death was not determined as a coroner’s autopsy is still ongoing.
Police say the man’s identity will not be released until his family is notified of his death.
Additional investigations will continue Thursday when workers return to test the remaining canisters.
Police believe the man had been dead for over a week as the body was showing the early stages of decomposition