WireImage
Ross McDonnell, an Irish filmmaker known for his Emmy-winning cinematography on “The Trade,” has died. His family confirmed this more than a week after his body was reportedly found on a beach in New York City. He was 44.
According to a statement on RIP.ie, McDonnell died “unexpectedly” on November 5. NBC News reported Monday that the “remains appear to be filmmaker Ross McDonnell.”
On November 17, police received a 911 call about a torso with attached human legs found in the sand at Breezy Point Beach in Queens. McDonnell disappeared earlier this month and was last seen Nov. 4 leaving his apartment in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood on his bicycle – which was later found locked on Fort Tilden Beach in Queens on the Rockaway Peninsula next to Breezy Point.
The cause of death is being determined by the New York Medical Examiner’s Office. NBC sources reported that no crime is suspected and there is no evidence of suicide. According to the sources, McDonnell may have gone swimming and drowned after being caught in the current. The investigation is ongoing; Authorities are working with the Irish consulate and awaiting DNA results.
Dublin native McDonnell won an Emmy for his cinematography on Showtime’s “The Trade,” a documentary series about the personal stories of people affected by illegal industries. McDonnell started out as a photographer and transitioned to film after his first feature, “Colony,” which he co-directed and served as cinematographer with Carter Gunn. After premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival, “Colony” won the IDFA First Feature Award. Since then, McDonnell has worked as a director, producer and cinematographer on numerous projects, from commercials to feature films.
His other awards include an Emmy nomination for “Elián,” a documentary he produced for CNN Films, BBC and Jigsaw Productions, and the Outstanding Cinematography: Documentary Emmy for “The First Wave,” directed by Matthew Heineman.