By Gus Saltonstall
UPDATE: 6:10 p.m. on Tuesday, September 17: The man discovered dead in Central Park on Monday morning was found hanging from a tree, police confirmed on Tuesday evening.
A 24-year-old man was found within the park around 6:40 a.m. Monday near 98 East Drive, police said on Tuesday. NYPD had previously told West Side Rag multiple times, along with other publications, that the body was discovered within the park in the vicinity of West 97th Street and Central Park West, but 98 East Drive is closer to East 98th Street and Fifth Avenue.
Police have not mentioned any signs of criminality, but the chief medical examiner is determining the cause of death and the investigation remains ongoing.
The man’s identity is still being withheld from the public pending proper family notification, police said.
While this has not been deemed a suicide, we’d like to offer the following information: The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, across the United States. Call or text 988 to connect with a trained crisis counselor. (Thanks to Michael for the information.)
Original Story
A dead body was found on Monday morning in Central Park, a police spokesperson confirmed to West Side Rag.
After responding to an early morning 911 call of an unconscious person in the park, NYPD officers found an unresponsive 24-year-old man around 6:40 a.m. within the park near West 97th Street, police said.
The man was subsequently pronounced dead at the scene, NYPD added.
Police are still waiting for proper notification of the family to release the man’s name, but the NYPD spokesperson said he did not appear to have any injuries.
The chief medical examiner will determine the cause of death, police said.
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I will be thinking of his family. So sad.
I can’t imagine the family waiting for him to come home. Sigh. And the person who found him as well.
So young. Rest in peace.
Unfortunately I walked by the scene this morning. He was found hanging against a tree in red shorts. Heartbreaking. I can’t begin to imagine what his last moments were like. If he put himself there, I just wish we had better mental healthcare in this country.
It is true that uncorroborated comments like this could be suspect; no disrepect to “Anonymous.” But let’s assume it is 100% true. How is that the NYPD releases details *without* including he was hanging against a tree?!? There’s an enormous tonal and potentially criminal delta between “found unresponsive” and “found unresponsive hanging from a tree.”
hanging from a tree and hanging against a tree are not mutually exclusive. I’d go with the police account in any event.
They did mention that “he did not appear to have any injuries.” I doubt there has been many cases historically of your assumed delta where the victim wasn’t previously harmed.
As to why they didn’t mention that detail. First reason is very likely knowing that mentioning the cause of death would lead to a lot of people making assumptions that went against all the available evidence. Second is that in cases of self-harm the cause of death is very rarely mentioned in the first reports.
Let’s wait to see what they end up reporting.
@buzz: it IS true, unfortunately. I was out there walking to work at around 7:40. They will eventually publish the cause or the way he was found like they always do, and you’ll see it’s what I wrote. And they don’t always list the cause of death right away, there are things they have to do first before reaching the public, so this shouldn’t even be the grounds for the skepticism. It doesn’t matter anyway, I saw it and that image will be burned in my mind forever whether I’m believed or not.
With this in mind, I am very glad WSR changed the original title picture. I was very puzzled by the hazy/partial view of the man in the red shorts, seemingly standing the middle of the cordoned-off area in the original picture.
I was walking my dog and saw what you saw. Similar to you, that image is burned into my mind and I am still shaken up about it.
A small memorial has been placed at the site. Seems like s young person. So sad
I also witnessed what happened. I saw the rope attached to his neck and thought that he was sitting when I first saw him. I immediately lowered my head and did not look further. I am saw all of that in a split second. Like others who have commented it is something you will not forget. Very sad and tragic. All I could is bow my head and pray for his soul.
Dear WRS,
Please consider amending the story to include the following statement.
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, across the United States. Call or text 988 to connect with a trained crisis counselor.
Whether it was suicide or not, suicides are quite common in Central Park. They just aren’t regularly reported.
@anthony demel, you really want to talk semantics? Of course it was FROM a tree. What else could it have been from? You have no idea what is on the official report. Technically they didn’t contradict what I said at all. You only know what the police choose to put out and what all the pedestrians walking by said. We all saw the scene. Period. We technically don’t know if it was self inflicted but we do know he found the way he was.
All of that said, his photos are there at the scene. Very beautiful kid. And there were happy birthday balloons which makes an already tragic situation more so.
I’m thinking of him and his family. Hugs to the other witnesses in this comment section.