Overview
- An exterminator at P.S./I.S. 113 Anthony J. Pranzo in Glendale, Queens reported a foul odor and called 911 just before 9 a.m. on Tuesday, prompting police to find human remains inside the school's chimney.
- No students or staff were in the building when the discovery was made because the systemwide school year had just ended and the city was on summer break.
- The New York City Medical Examiner will determine cause of death and identity and the NYPD has opened an active investigation into the circumstances of the find.
- City Buildings Department records show recent permits for wiring and hot-water work and contractors had been working at the school, information investigators are now reviewing to trace access and timing.
- The discovery could prompt closer scrutiny of contractor access and school building oversight as the Department of Education and the school did not provide immediate comment and officials seek to establish how long the remains were in the chimney.