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Body Discovered in Wooded Area of Garrison
Remains believed to be those of missing Manhattan man
The Putnam County Sheriff's Department reports that the decomposed corpse of a man was discovered on Saturday morning, August 18, 2007, in a wooded area in Garrison. The body is believed to be that of a Manhattan man who was reported missing about two weeks ago.
Investigators believe the remains found are those of Mr. Michael A. Burke, aged 60, whose last known address was 412 W. 56th Street in the Manhattan Borough of New York City. Mr. Burke was an employee of the New York City Housing Authority, where a co-worker last saw him on August 1, 2007. On August 6 Mr. Burke left a telephone message for his supervisor, saying he was sorry and would not be returning to work.
When Mr. Burke subsequently failed to show up at his job, Housing Authority officials reported him missing to the New York City Police Department 18th Precinct. His disappearance was investigated by detectives assigned to the Housing Authority.
At about 7:45 on Saturday morning, a man was walking his dog along a trail near Arden Point, a section of state park property near the Garrison train station of the Metro-North railroad. The dog ran off the trail, apparently attracted by the scent of the body, and when the man went after it he saw the body lying on the ground about 50-60 feet from the trail. He called 911 and sheriff's deputies, investigators, and forensics personnel responded to the scene. The State Park Police and Coroner's Office also responded.
On Sunday, the medical examiner performed an autopsy, which disclosed no apparent indications of any blunt trauma or any other foul play. Toxicology tests were ordered to determine the cause of death. Based upon the date of Mr. Burke's last communication to his employer and the level of decomposition of his body, investigators theorize that he may have been dead for as long as 12 days before the discovery of his corpse on Saturday.
Mr. Burke has been described as a recluse, for whom his employer and co-workers could provide no information on emergency contacts, friends or relatives. Investigators say that the Manhattan resident suffered from diabetes and that he may have been distraught over poor health issues at the time he went missing.
Officials recovered Mr. Burke's identification documents from a wallet found on the body. Authorities have been unsuccessful in their efforts to locate any next-of-kin to formally identify the body, as is customarily done in such cases. The decayed condition of the remains may prevent any identification by sight recognition, but investigators have recovered some personal items that could aid in confirming Mr. Burke's identity: a pair of wire-rimmed eyeglasses and a Crucifix worn on a neck chain.
Anyone with information concerning Mr. Burke is asked to call the Sheriffs' Office at (845) 225-4300 or the New York City Police Department at (212) 825-3656.
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