A janitor smelled something wrong in a quiet Queens school, and what an exterminator found in the chimney turned that building into a crime scene straight out of a nightmare.
Story Snapshot
- Human remains were found inside the chimney of PS 113 in Glendale, Queens
- An exterminator called 911 after tracing a foul odor to the school’s chimney
- The school was closed for summer construction and empty of students and staff
Human remains in a neighborhood school, discovered by smell
Police say human remains were found around 9 a.m. on a Tuesday inside the chimney of PS 113, the Anthony J. Pranzo School in Glendale, Queens. The building was quiet, closed for summer construction, when a janitor noticed a foul odor and called for an exterminator, assuming pests were to blame.
That simple maintenance call set off a chain of events that brought the New York City Police Department Crime Scene Unit and a Medical Examiner to a place usually filled with kids and backpacks, not detectives and body bags.
Reporters say the exterminator followed the smell to the chimney and opened an ash dump area near the base. There, he first found a shoe. When he reached farther, he felt a human foot. That detail, recounted by local television and online clips, explains why officers first answered a call for “possible human remains.”
Within hours, investigators confirmed what everyone feared: this was a decomposing human body, lodged inside a school chimney that was part of an aging building already under repair.
What police and the Medical Examiner know, and what they do not
New York City Police Department officers say, as of the latest reports, they do not yet know who the victim is. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is now in charge of removing the remains, running DNA tests, and studying the body to determine both identity and cause of death.
Until that work is done, no one can say if this was an accident, a construction-site tragedy, or something much darker that fits the label of homicide.
Police sources told reporters that no students or regular school staff were inside the building when the remains were found. The New York City Department of Education confirmed that the school was closed for the summer due to construction, with only contractors and limited personnel present.
Detectives are already planning to question those workers and check if any crew members are missing. That focus makes sense. In big cities, construction work around old infrastructure brings risk, and history shows that workers sometimes get hurt or trapped in hidden spaces.
Crime scene inside a chimney and the pressure of public fear
Investigators from the New York City Police Department Crime Scene Unit remained on scene, combing the building and examining the chimney. They must figure out the basic question that keeps parents awake at night: how does a person end up inside a school chimney at all?
Was there access through scaffolding or roof work during long-term repairs? Did someone climb or get pushed? That physical story matters because it separates a tragic accident from a deliberate act, and Americans value that clear line when justice is on the table.
Exterminator finds human remains in chimney of Queens middle school https://t.co/JGahOfHoSp via @gothamist
— leonie haimson (@leoniehaimson) July 1, 2026
The Department of Education called the discovery “deeply upsetting and concerning,” and promised support for the school community while the investigation continues.
That kind of statement often sounds routine, but here it reflects real tension. Parents now picture a body decomposing above classrooms their kids will return to in the fall.
Media clips repeat phrases like “rotting human corpse” and “terror at Queens school,” amplifying shock. Responsible coverage should inform, not inflame, but fear sells, and that can push investigators to rush rather than methodically build a case.
Unknowns, rumors, and the need for hard evidence
Right now, key facts are still missing. Police have not announced a cause of death. They have not said how long the body was in the chimney, or whether the person had any link to the school, the neighborhood, or the construction crews.
No arrests have been reported, and no suspect has been named. That blank space invites online theories, some tying the case to ideas about “lost bodies” in urban infrastructure or claiming it must be murder by default.
Some coverage, including a later social media post tied to local television, uses the word “homicide” in connection with the school chimney discovery.
Until the Medical Examiner completes work and police share more, that label is more emotional than factual. If autopsy findings show clear signs of foul play, then calling it homicide will be accurate and necessary.
If evidence points to a trapped worker or accidental fall during construction, the story changes sharply. That is why patient, thorough forensic work matters more than fast headlines.
What happens next inside that school and beyond
From here, the investigation will likely pull together 911 call records, work logs from custodians and exterminators, and schedules from the construction firms hired to repair PS 113.
Detectives will want to see any camera footage from in and around the school, plus entrance records for workers over the past months.
The chimney and ash dump area may be inspected by structural experts to map possible entry points and test whether someone could get stuck there without help, or whether the body had to be placed.
For the Glendale community, this case is more than a news clip. It raises questions about safety in older city schools, oversight during construction, and how long something this serious can go unseen.
Adults who trust institutions expect basic competence: if a person can die and remain hidden inside a school structure, something failed, whether in security, inspections, or emergency response.
At the same time, respect for the unknown victim demands we avoid wild accusations until police and the Medical Examiner finish the hard work of turning a horrible discovery into a clear, evidence-based story.
Sources:
abcnews.com, abc7.com, people.com, youtube.com, facebook.com, fox5ny.com, abc7ny.com
