A body was discovered near an empty lot on East 13th Street, between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. A homeless man was scavenging around and found a woman's body in a trunk yesterday afternoon. The Times spoke with a resident of the building next to the empty lot; the resident said he had seen a trunk on the sidewalk on Saturday night and found it unusual since it seem to be in good condition, versus the junk usually left on the street. The police found a towel with a dark stain nearby in a magazine stand, but have disclosed few details about the discovery, except that the body is that of a white adult woman.
Blogger Kill the Bird emailed about the investigation yesterday afternoon, after KTB's cab was detoured due to the crime scene, which closed that strip of street down. Check out Kill the Bird's photos of police searching for clues around the dumpster as well as a crowd of onlookers behind a barricade.
The Times article also notes that the neighborhood feels that the lot, empty for many years, is a magnet for dumping junk, which is odd given the state of East Village development. And, as Gothamist knows from our friend and former 13th Street resident, JW, across the street from the empty lot is where Taxi Driver filmed.
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That block has such a history!
1. Much of Taxi Driver was filmed on that block
2. In the early 90's, the Post ran a cover story on a notorious crack house on the south side of the street. It was boarded up shortly after that.
3. Two young girls were killed on that block in the late 80's/early 90's when part of a building collapsed.
4. And now this...strange...
First the sidewalk electrocution and now this. My neighborhood (north East Village) is not having such a great year, it would seem. I walked down that block on Saturday night, but I don't remember the trunk. Of course, there is always so much junk and trash there that the only way I would have noticed it is if it was something I needed in my apartment. Thank god I don't need a trunk.
Egads! My bestfriend just moved into that area last week...very interesting history Hear See NYC.
Just down the block... and I did so love that dumpster.
Also around the corner from the Pop murder, incidentally.
So right now an NYPD van is slowly going up and down the block here on 11th btw 1st and 2nd with a big pre-recorded megaphone message ( sort of like an amped up ice cream truck, or the Lubbavacher rabbi's music blaring mobile home) politely asking people with information on the 'body in a trunk' investigation to call crimestoppers!
A pretty tacky way to save the NYPD from doing house to house questioning!
Whenever I see a trunk or sizeable suitcase on the street, the first thing I think is "dead body."
There have been a lot more cops in the area for a few weeks now. I thought it might have to do with the recent rash of burgularies (there have been NYPD flyers handed out warning about them).
One reason Taxi Driver might've been shot in the area is that back in the day the East Village was drug central -- crack/heroin/pot houses all along the streets. It was pretty bad up until the early 90s. I recall stepping over junkies shooting up in the vestibule, and prostitutes and johns under the stairs. Ah, memories....