HUMAN BONES A MYSTERY
Who it is, when they died unknown in Queens basement find
A skeleton found in the basement of a Queens home under construction has been determined to be human, the city medical examiner said Tuesday.
While the investigation into the remains is in its early stages, the medical examiner’s forensic anthropologists “have confirmed the remains are human,” an agency spokeswoman said.
A construction crew was cleaning out the basement of the home on Jamaica Ave. near 120th St. in Richmond Hill when the gruesome discovery was made at around 1:55 p.m. Monday, cops said.
Police would not say if the remains were buried in the basement floor, but photos taken by a Daily News photographer show a skull and other bones that appear to be caked in dirt.
It was not immediately clear if the remains were of a man or a woman, the NYPD said. Nor was it clear how long the bones had been in the basement.
The building had been vacant for decades, according to the city
Department of Buildings.
In October, the city received complaints of rodents coming from the address and other problems.
“It’s a vacant building, and the door to the basement is caving in,” one complaint read, requesting the city take immediate action “before someone gets hurt.”
An inspection o0f the building in November showed that the metal cellar hatch doors on the sidewalk had at one time been sealed with concrete but the concrete had been broken up.
“[It’s] hazardous to the public by creating a fall and tripping hazard,” the inspector determined.
Although it had been abandoned for some time, the building was not properly closed or sealed, according to property records. The roof of the building had also caved in, which could be seen by people riding along an elevated train line that runs past the property.
The Department of Buildings issued violations which haven’t been rectified, city officials said.
The building is currently boarded off as a rehab project begins.