The woman entombed in a suitcase in a wooded area of Long Island was identified Thursday as 31-year-old homeless woman Seikeya Jones.
Her remains were discovered around noon on Tuesday near an apartment complex in Huntington Station, according to Suffolk County police. Jones’ cause of death has not been determined.
A woman who lives in the area made the unfortunate discovery as she passed by.
“I was walking past, I smelled something, I heard the flies. [I] looked over then I saw the suitcase,” the neighbor told ABC 7.
The unidentified witness then called police, who opened the suitcase to discover a rotting body.
“The smell was rancid, potent,” the woman said. “Something I’ve never smelled before.”
A second neighbor also reported smelling something foul before the victim’s body was found.
It’s not clear where Jones died or how long her remains were inside the suitcase. The Suffolk County medical examiner expects to perform an autopsy.
The Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad is investigating the circumstances surrounding her death.