Investigators believe a 39-year-old mother of four died in a tragic accident after falling into a trash compactor at a Brooklyn housing complex earlier this month, police said Friday.
Michelle Montgomery, who lived with her partner and their four children, was discovered Feb. 1 inside a trash compactor area at the Borinquen Plaza public housing complex in Williamsburg. Her remains were found in a black bag by New York City Housing Authority workers who were cleaning the basement compactor room around 9:30 a.m., authorities said.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said preliminary findings point to an accidental fall rather than criminal activity. Investigators’ working theory is that Montgomery may have dropped her purse down the building’s garbage chute and then went inside to retrieve it, falling headfirst into the chute and eventually ending up in the compactor below.
Surveillance footage reportedly shows Montgomery entering the building alone at about 1:39 a.m. on the night of Feb. 1 after dining with relatives and friends. Witnesses later heard screams emanating from the area of the trash chute on an upper floor, though it’s unclear whether any residents realized the source of the sounds at the time.
Preliminary autopsy information suggests Montgomery was alive when she entered the compactor and suffered severe injuries consistent with being processed in the machine. Police said her body showed no signs of a struggle, and the medical examiner has not yet finalized the official cause of death.
Montgomery’s partner, Anthony Echevarria, described her as “vibrant, happy, and alive” on the evening she left home, according to earlier interviews with local media. The couple shared four children, ranging in age from 10 months to 19 years.
At a news conference, Chief Kenny stressed that there is no indication of foul play and characterized the incident as a “tragic accident.” Police continue to review evidence, including surveillance video and witness accounts, as part of the ongoing investigation.
